{"262751":{"#nid":"262751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Imaging Technology Could Unlock Mysteries of a Childhood Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the time they\u2019re two, most children have had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and suffered symptoms no worse than a bad cold. But for some children, especially premature babies and those with underlying health conditions, RSV can lead to pneumonia and bronchitis \u2013 which can require hospitalization and have long-term consequences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new technique for studying the structure of the RSV virion and the activity of RSV in living cells could help researchers unlock the secrets of the virus, including how it enters cells, how it replicates, how many genomes it inserts into its hosts \u2013 and perhaps why certain lung cells escape the infection relatively unscathed. That could provide scientists information they need to develop new antiviral drugs and perhaps even a vaccine to prevent severe RSV infections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to develop tools that would allow us to get at how the virus really works,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=105\u0022\u003EPhilip Santangelo\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe really need to be able to follow the infection in a single living cell without affecting how the virus infects its hosts, and this technology should allow us to do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the National Institutes of Health\u2019s National Institute of General Medical Sciences and published online ahead of print in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E on December 30, 2013. While RSV will be the first target for the work, the researchers believe the imaging technique they developed could be used to study other RNA viruses, including influenza and Ebola.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve shown that we can tag the genome using our probes,\u201d explained Santangelo. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned from this is that the genome does get incorporated into the virion, and that the virus particles created are infectious. We were able to characterize some aspects of the virus particle itself at super-resolution, down to 20 nanometers, using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) imaging.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERSV can be difficult to study. For one thing, the infectious particle can take different forms, ranging from 10-micron filaments to ordinary spheres. The virus can insert more than one genome into the host cells and the RNA orientation and structure are disordered, which makes it difficult to characterize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which included scientists from Vanderbilt University and Emory University, used a probe technology that quickly attaches to RNA within cells. The probe uses multiple fluorophores to indicate the presence of the viral RNA, allowing the researchers to see where it goes in host cells \u2013 and to watch as infectious particles leave the cells to spread the infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing able to see the genome and the progeny RNA that comes from the genome with the probes we use really give us much more insight into the replication cycle,\u201d Santangelo said. \u201cThis gives us much more information about what the virus is really doing. If we can visualize the entry, assembly and replication of the virus, that would allow us to decide what to go after to fight the virus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research depended on a new method for labelling RNA viruses using multiply-labeled tetravalent RNA imaging probes (MTRIPS). The probes consist of a chimeric combination of DNA and RNA oligonucleotide labeled internally with fluorophores tetravelently complexed to neutravidin. The chimeric combination was used to help the probes evade cellular defenses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are lots of sensors in the cell that look for foreign RNA and foreign DNA, but to the cell, this probe doesn\u2019t look like anything,\u201d Santangelo explained. \u201cThe cell doesn\u2019t see the nucleic acid as foreign.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntroduced into cells, the probes quickly diffuse through a cell infected with RSV and bind to the virus\u2019s RNA. Though binding tightly, the probe doesn\u2019t affect the normal activities of the virus and allows researchers to follow the activity for days using standard microscopy techniques. The MTRIPS can be used to complement other probe technology, such as GFP and gold nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWork done by graduate student Eric Alonas to concentrate the virus was essential to the project, Santangelo said. The concentration had to be done without adversely affecting the infectivity of the virus, which would have impacted its ability to enter host cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt took quite a bit of work to get the right techniques to concentrate the RSV,\u201d he said. \u201cNow we can make lots of infectious virus that\u2019s labelled and can be stored so we can use it when we want to.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study the infection\u2019s progress in individual cells, the researchers faced another challenge: living cells move around, and following them complicates the research. To address that movement, the laboratory of Thomas Barker \u2013 also in the Coulter Department \u2013 used micro-patterned fibronectin on glass to create 50-micron \u201cislands\u201d that contained the cells during the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the mysteries that the researchers would like to tackle is why certain lung cells are severely infected \u2013 while others appear to escape ill effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you look at a field of cells, you see huge differences from cell to cell, and that is something that\u2019s not understood at all,\u201d Santangelo said. \u201cIf we can figure out why some cells are exploding with virus while others are not, perhaps we can figure out a way to help the bad ones look more like the good ones.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included James Crowe, professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University; Elizabeth Wright, assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Emory University; Daryll Vanover, Jeenah Jung, Chiara Zurla, Jonathan Kirschman, Vincent Fiore, and Alison Douglas from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University; Aaron Lifland and Manasa Gudheti from Vutara Inc. in Salt Lake City, and Hong Yi from the Emory University School of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the challenges of studying RSV is maintaining its activity in the laboratory setting \u2013 a problem parents of young children don\u2019t share.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you handle this virus in the lab, you have to always be careful about it losing infectivity,\u201d Santangelo noted. \u201cBut if you take a room full of children who have not been infected and let one infected child into the room, 15 minutes later all of the children will be infected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described here was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under contract R01 GM094198-01. Any conclusions or opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Eric Alonas, et al., \u201cCombining Single RNA Sensitive Probes with Subdiffraction-Limited and Live-Cell Imaging Enables the Characterization of Virus Dynamics in Cells,\u201d (ACS Nano, December 2013). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/nn405998v\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/nn405998v\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new technique for studying the structure of the RSV virion and the activity of RSV in living cells could help researchers unlock the secrets of the virus, including how it enters cells, how it replicates, how many genomes it inserts into its hosts \u2013 and perhaps why certain lung cells escape the infection relatively unscathed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists have developed a new technique for studying RSV, a common childhood illness."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-12-29 21:43:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"262721":{"id":"262721","type":"image","title":"RSV infected cell","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV infected cell","file":{"fid":"198433","name":"infected-cell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":264504,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/infected-cell_0.jpg?itok=pJCL-W7r"}},"262731":{"id":"262731","type":"image","title":"RSV viral filament","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV viral filament","file":{"fid":"198434","name":"viral_filament1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":227839,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/viral_filament1_0.jpg?itok=6JRfiWJH"}},"262741":{"id":"262741","type":"image","title":"RSV RNA binding","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"RSV RNA binding","file":{"fid":"198435","name":"rna-binding.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":183158,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rna-binding_0.jpg?itok=3dIKrhFc"}}},"media_ids":["262721","262731","262741"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1133","name":"genome"},{"id":"10660","name":"infection"},{"id":"13850","name":"Philip Santangelo"},{"id":"82651","name":"replication"},{"id":"984","name":"RNA"},{"id":"7647","name":"RSV"},{"id":"82661","name":"virion"},{"id":"4292","name":"virus"},{"id":"82671","name":"Wallace Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"262671":{"#nid":"262671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Brings Scientists Closer to the Origin of RNA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biggest questions in science is how life arose from the chemical soup that existed on early Earth. One theory is that RNA, a close relative of DNA, was the first genetic molecule to arise around 4 billion years ago, but in a primitive form that later evolved into the RNA and DNA molecules that we have in life today. New research shows one way this chain of events might have started.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, genetic information is stored in DNA. RNA is created from DNA to put that information into action. RNA can direct the creation of proteins and perform other essential functions of life that DNA can\u2019t do. RNA\u2019s versatility is one reason that scientists think this polymer came first, with DNA evolving later as a better way to store genetic information for the long haul. But like DNA, RNA also could be a product of evolution, scientists theorize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChemists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown how molecules that may have been present on early Earth can self-assemble into structures that could represent a starting point of RNA. The spontaneous formation of RNA building blocks is seen as a crucial step in the origin of life, but one that scientists have struggled with for decades. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn our study, we demonstrate a reaction that we see as important for the formation of the earliest RNA-like molecules,\u201d said Nicholas Hud, professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech, where he\u2019s also the director of the Center for Chemical Evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was published Dec. 14 online in the\u003Cem\u003E Journal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERNA is perfect for the roles it plays in life today, Hud said, but chemically it\u2019s extraordinarily difficult to make. This suggests that RNA evolved from simpler chemical couplings. As life became more chemically complex and enzymes were born, evolutionary pressures would have driven pre-RNA into the more refined modern RNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERNA is made of three chemical components: the sugar ribose, the bases and phosphate. A ribose-base-phosphate unit links together with other ribose-base-phosphate units to form an RNA polymer. Figuring out how the bond between the bases and ribose first formed has been a difficult problem to address in the origins of life field, Hud said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, Hud\u2019s team investigated bases that are chemically related to the bases of modern RNA, but that might be able to spontaneously bond with ribose and assemble with other bases through the same interactions that enable DNA and RNA to store information. They homed in on a molecule called triaminopyrimidine (TAP). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers mixed TAP with ribose under conditions meant to mimic a drying pond on early Earth. TAP and ribose reacted together in high yield, with up to 80 percent of TAP being converted into nucleosides, which is the name for the ribose-base unit of RNA. Previous attempts to form a ribose-base bond with the current RNA bases in similar reactions had either failed or produced nucleosides in very low yields. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study is important in showing a feasible step for how we get the start of an RNA-like molecule, but also how the building blocks of the first RNA-like polymers could have found each other and self-assembled in what would have been a very complex mixture of chemicals,\u201d Hud said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers demonstrated this property of the TAP nucleosides by adding another molecule to their reaction mixture, called cyanuric acid, which is known to interact with TAP. Even in the unpurified reaction mixture, noncovalent polymers formed with thousands of paired nucleosides. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is amazing that these nucleosides and bases actually assemble on their own, as life today requires complex enzymes to bring together RNA building blocks and to spatially order them prior to polymerization,\u201dsaid Brian Cafferty, a graduate student at Georgia Tech and co-author of the study\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study demonstrated one possible way that the building blocks for an ancestor of RNA could have come together on early Earth. TAP is an intriguing candidate for one of the first bases that eventually led to modern RNA molecules, but there are certainly others, Hud said. \u003Cbr \/\u003EFuture work, in Hud\u2019s lab and by other laboratories in the Center for Chemical Evolution, will investigate the origins of RNA\u2019s phosphate backbone, as well as other pathways toward modern RNA. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re looking for a simple, robust chemistry that can explain the earliest origin of RNA or its ancestor,\u201d Hud said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Chemical Evolution under award number CHE-1004570, and the NASA Exobiology Program under award number NNX13AIO2G. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biggest questions in science is how life arose from the chemical soup that existed on early Earth. One theory is that RNA, a close relative of DNA, was the first genetic molecule to arise around 4 billion years ago, but in a primitive form that later evolved into the RNA and DNA molecules that we have in life today. New research shows one way this chain of events might have started.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research shows one way that a molecule leading to RNA might have first formed."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-12-23 12:18:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:36","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"262661":{"id":"262661","type":"image","title":"Self-assembly of TAP-ribose nucleoside","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"Self-assembly of TAP-ribose nucleoside","file":{"fid":"198430","name":"afm_sub_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/afm_sub_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/afm_sub_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":431709,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/afm_sub_1_0.jpg?itok=Qg9kpwjN"}}},"media_ids":["262661"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"82621","name":"center for chemical evoluation"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"4504","name":"Nicholas Hud"},{"id":"9854","name":"Origin Of Life"},{"id":"984","name":"RNA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"261581":{"#nid":"261581","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium Awarded $3.5M to Assist Commercialization of Medical Devices for Children","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium (APDC) has been awarded $3.5 million over five years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assist scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs in bringing medical devices for children to the market with greater efficiency. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC is one of only seven FDA pediatric device consortia in the country. The center is a public-private partnership between the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta, and now the Virginia Commonwealth University. The APDC\u2019s mission is to increase the accessibility of medical devices that will improve the health of children. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC was founded in 2011, and the new award is a second-phase grant. The latest funding positions Atlanta as a national leader in pediatric technologies. The award follows a $20 million joint investment by Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, announced in June 2012, for developing technological solutions for improving children\u2019s health.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe APDC\u2019s mission is crucial to improving the health of children. Many medical devices used to treat children were designed and produced for adults, so they are not optimal for the pediatric physiology and anatomy. The APDC was created to help academic entrepreneurs and small businesses obtain the expertise that they need to commercialize their pediatric medical technologies. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis additional round of funding will make a profound impact on the availability of medical devices designed especially for pediatric patients,\u201d said David Ku, the Lawrence P. Huang Chair Professor of Engineering Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech, who will lead the APDC.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEntrepreneurs struggle to commercialize pediatric technologies because the market for these devices is small compared to that of the adult medical device market. The APDC\u2019s hope is that more efficient development of pediatric devices will improve the benefit-to-cost ratio for these products so that they can succeed in smaller markets. \u003Cbr \/\u003ETo achieve this goal, the APDC provides expertise in device engineering, laboratory and animal model studies, design and analysis of clinical trials with access to relevant pediatric populations, and identification of the best clinical application for introduction of a technology into the marketplace. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAPDC also has experience in prototyping, business planning, good manufacturing practices, regulatory affairs and intellectual property protection. The center\u2019s advisors have been assisting projects since 2011 when APDC was awarded initial funding from the FDA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cOur team\u2019s combined expertise of over 80 years should help the community at large bring additional devices to market,\u201d said Ku, who is also a Regents Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAPDC\u2019s co-directors are Barbara Boyan, dean of the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth, and Wilbur Lam, assistant professor of in pediatrics with appointments at Emory University, the Aflac Cancer Center of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. APDC\u2019s associate director is Kevin Maher, M.D., a cardiologist and researcher specializing in pediatrics with appointments at the Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants public-private partnership five year award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EU.S. Food and Drug Administration grants Georgia Tech and partners a five year award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants public-private partnership five year award"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-12-17 11:58:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"261621":{"id":"261621","type":"image","title":"David Ku, MD, PhD - Executive Director, Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"David Ku, MD, PhD - Executive Director, Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium","file":{"fid":"198400","name":"d._ku.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2457902,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/d._ku_0.jpg?itok=ZngeKZmX"}}},"media_ids":["261621"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/pediatricdevicesatlanta.org\/","title":"Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector Communications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EPetit Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"261491":{"#nid":"261491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute Announces 2014 Suddath Symposium Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience awarded the 2014 Suddath Symposium Graduate Student Awards to three students for their grand achievements in biological or biochemical research at the molecular or cellular level.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022It was a difficult decision \u2013 we had a very strong applicant pool this year,\u0022 said Nick Hud, Associate Director for the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first place award was given to Natalie Saini who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology.\u0026nbsp; Saini\u2019s research is focused on determining the mechanisms underlying erroneous DNA synthesis during double strand break (DSB) repair in eukaryotic cells, an important process implicated in the generation of instability in cancers. Her work has been published in Nature, Biochimie, Molecular Cell and PLoS Genetics.. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI am very honored to receive the prestigious Suddath award,\u201d said Saini.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI am thankful to the reviewers for recognizing my accomplishments and grateful for all of the opportunities and resources that have been provided through my advisor, Kirill Lobachev, as well as through Georgia Tech\u2019s Petit Institute.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESaini will receive $1,000 and will give a research presentation to the Petit Institute community at the 2014 Suddath Symposium to be held on February 20, 2014 at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp; She will also have her name added to the Suddath Award recognition plaque at the Petit Institute.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cNatalie is smart, motivated and hardworking scientist. She has excellent\u003Cbr \/\u003Eanalytical skills and she is not afraid to try new approaches and techniques,\u201d said her advisor, Kirill Lobachev. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELauren Austin received the 2nd place award for her research in nanobiotechnology in the laboratory of Mostafa El-Sayed where she is focused on the interactions of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with cancerous cell lines and the exploitation of their unique optical properties to reveal molecular information during important cellular functions (i.e. proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cell death) in real-time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnthony Awojoodu, a doctoral student in Biomedical engineering, was recognized for a 3rd place award for his accomplishments in the laboratory of Edward Botchwey, where he has focused his research on therapies to cure, treat and prevent complications of sickle cell disease using sphingolipid signaling and metabolism. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAustin and Awojoodu will also each receive cash awards.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Natalie Saini receives top graduate student award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENatalie Saini receives top Suddath Symposium graduate student award\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Natalie Saini receives top graduate student award"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-12-17 09:05:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"261501":{"id":"261501","type":"image","title":"Natalie Saini, PhD candidate from the lab of Kirill Lobachev, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243999","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:39","changed":"1475894948","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:08","alt":"Natalie Saini, PhD candidate from the lab of Kirill Lobachev, PhD","file":{"fid":"198397","name":"saininatalie-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/saininatalie-cropped_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/saininatalie-cropped_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":88549,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/saininatalie-cropped_0.jpg?itok=piEfcJhn"}}},"media_ids":["261501"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/suddath-symposium\/suddath-award","title":"Suddath Award information"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector Communnication \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EPetit Institute\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"260971":{"#nid":"260971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Faculty Named 2013 AAAS Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty continue to be recognized as among the most respected in their field. Last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) named four \u2014 in biology, computing and engineering \u2014 to its 2013 class of fellows\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElection as a fellow of AAAS, the world\u2019s largest general scientific society, is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew fellows include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EHenrik Christensen\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor contributions to applied estimation methods in mapping, robot localization, visual tracking and recognition, as well as national-level leadership of the robotics community.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Biology Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EMark Hay\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished contributions in ecology, particularly for developing marine chemical ecology and for elucidating how chemical cues and signals structure populations, communities, and ecosystems.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EHang Lu\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished contributions to the field of engineering systems for high-throughput quantitative and systems biology, particularly for microfluidics, automation, image-based science, and phenomics.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESchool of Aerospace Engineering Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ESuresh Menon\u003C\/strong\u003E, cited \u201cfor distinguished and innovative contributions to the field of multi-scale computational simulation and modeling of turbulent combustion in power and propulsion systems.\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty continue to be recognized as among the most respected in their field. Last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) named four \u2014 in biology, computing and engineering \u2014 to its 2013 class of fellows\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Honorific in the world\u2019s largest general scientific society is determined by peers"}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2013-12-13 16:33:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260951":{"id":"260951","type":"image","title":"Henrik Christensen","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Henrik Christensen","file":{"fid":"198368","name":"10p1000-p71-032_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":389386,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_0_0.jpg?itok=0VzKiaal"}},"260931":{"id":"260931","type":"image","title":"Mark Hay","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Mark Hay","file":{"fid":"198366","name":"12e7001-p1-018.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":209169,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/12e7001-p1-018_0.jpg?itok=z7uh_Qi4"}},"260941":{"id":"260941","type":"image","title":"Hang Lu","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Hang Lu","file":{"fid":"198367","name":"11e2016-p3-033.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":484004,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/11e2016-p3-033_0.jpg?itok=ctZBYa6J"}},"260921":{"id":"260921","type":"image","title":"Suresh Menon","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Suresh Menon","file":{"fid":"198365","name":"menon-s.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4130,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/menon-s_0.jpg?itok=9IonVlje"}}},"media_ids":["260951","260931","260941","260921"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1629","name":"AAAS"},{"id":"11701","name":"AAAS Fellows"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"260861":{"#nid":"260861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute Announces 2013 \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 Award Winners","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience announced the winners of its annual Interdisciplinary Education and Research \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards given annually to staff, a junior faculty member, a senior faculty member, six trainees and staff members. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022We have so many people who contribute to the great bio-community at Georgia Tech,\u0022 stated Bob Guldberg, executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0022These awards serve as a way to celebrate a few individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a real difference in our community.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWinners included, Julia Babensee, PhD, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the senior faculty award for her dedication in the planning the 2012 Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting and planning of the first workshop on Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech recently.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChristine Payne, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry, received the junior faculty award for writing a instrumentation grant for a new super resolution fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Elyra PS-1) which will be part of the Petit Institute\u0027s microscopy core beginning in 2014 and will be available for all researchers to use.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe trainee awards were given to graduate students, Alex Caulk, Tracy Hookway, Timothy Kassis, Chris Quinto, Torri Rinker, Denise Sullivan for their dedication to the broader community through community service activities as well as volunteering. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECaulk, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s interdisciplinary bioengineering program was recognized for his leadership and service activities for the Bioengineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee (BGSAC).\u0026nbsp; Caulk is advised by Rudy Gleason, PhD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E Hookway, a postdoctoral fellow from the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, was recognized for her role as the local event organizer for the recent Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society annual meeting held in Atlanta, GA in 2013. Hookway brought a new innovative approach to the trainee-lead events for this workshop, introducing the first high school outreach event to the society. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKassis, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech\u0027s bioengineering program and advised by J. Brandon Dixon, PhD, was recognized for his many volunteer and service activities over several years for the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS) group as well as the BGSAC organization. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQuinto received his award for his two years of service as Co-Director for the BBUGS student organization which involved management and oversight of numerous volunteer and service activities to the bio-community.\u0026nbsp; Quinto is a doctoral candidate in the biomedical engineering from the lab of Gang Bao, PhD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERinker, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering advised by Johnna Temenoff, PhD, was recognized for the dedication and excellent organizational skills she brought to the BBUGS education and outreach committee the last two years as well as helping the New Science Club which services Coretta Scott King Young Women\u0027s Leadership Academy and B.E.S.T Academy, two minority-serving public high schools in the City of Atlanta.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESullivan, a doctoral candidate and National Science Foundation fellow in the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, received the award also for her many efforts for the BBUGS education and outreach committee and the New Science Club.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe staff awards were given to Rachel Cochran who serves as grants administrator, and Sandra Powell, accounting manager, for the Petit Institute. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Interdisciplinary Education and Research \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards were started in 2009 to recognize team-based individuals who demonstrate exemplary service to the institute and contribute to its collegial, collaborative environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Trainees, staff, senior and junior faculty, honored"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESenior faculty, junior faculty, trainees and staff recognized for going \u0022above and beyond\u0022 for the community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Senior faculty, junior faculty, trainees and staff recognized"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-12-13 13:46:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260871":{"id":"260871","type":"image","title":"2013 Petit Institute recognizes six trainees with \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"2013 Petit Institute recognizes six trainees with \u0022Above and Beyond\u0022 awards","file":{"fid":"198363","name":"2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":96066,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2013_above_and_beyond_trainee_pic-500pxls_0.jpg?itok=jkdw1ogQ"}}},"media_ids":["260871"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"14197","name":"Julia babensee"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing and Events\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003Efor Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"259671":{"#nid":"259671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Development Spotlight: EBB to Open in 2015","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn McDonald, professor in the School of Biology and director of the Integrated Cancer Research Center, has also spent many years as the chief scientific officer for Georgia Tech\u2019s Ovarian Cancer Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollaboration doesn\u2019t just come easy for him. It is at the very foundation of his research approach when it comes to understanding cancer. McDonald, then, was a natural choice among faculty members who will relocate to the Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) when it opens in 2015. Campaign Georgia Tech has been instrumental in raising money for the building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m convinced that the effective treatment of complex diseases like cancer will require an understanding of the interactive relationships that underlie cell function,\u201d McDonald said. \u201cI am excited about the prospect of working with other researchers committed to a \u2018systems\u2019 approach to better understand the basis of cancer onset and progression.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EBB was conceptualized and designed, and will be constructed, according to one fundamental tenet \u2014 that understanding and fighting multifaceted disease requires a new way of doing things; that new insights emerge not from the solitary confines of one laboratory or one discipline but from shared resources, spaces, and expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaborative spaces within the facility are decidedly intentional and planned. The five-story, 200,000-square-foot building will house faculty members and other researchers in three research neighborhoods: chemical biology, cell and developmental bioengineering, and systems biology. Within each neighborhood, scientists and engineers from many different disciplines will share lab, office, and communal spaces, making it possible for them to share ideas, perspectives, and resources in an entirely new way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many years, McDonald has taken a collaborative approach to cancer research, working with faculty in chemistry and computer science to develop new, highly accurate diagnostic tests for ovarian and prostate cancer, and partnering with biomedical engineers, chemists, and biologists in cell therapies and personalized cancer medicine. Once the EBB is operational, collaboration will drive its every function and use, which will help accelerate the pace of discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are not striving to compete with cancer centers like MD Anderson,\u201d explained McDonald. \u201cWe are complementing their efforts by developing these unique integrative approaches, and this building will greatly enhance our ability to do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more about Campaign Georgia Tech, click \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/c.gatech.edu\/15nooQ5\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEditor\u2019s Note: This article is part of a monthly series that focuses on Campaign Georgia Tech.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn McDonald, professor in the School of Biology and director of the Integrated Cancer Research Center, has also spent many years as the chief scientific officer for Georgia Tech\u2019s Ovarian Cancer Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"John McDonald, professor in the School of Biology and director of the Integrated Cancer Research Center, has also spent many years as the chief scientific officer for Georgia Tech\u2019s Ovarian Cancer Institute."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2013-12-09 15:28:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:29","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"259621":{"id":"259621","type":"image","title":"Engineered Biosystems Building","body":null,"created":"1449243977","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:17","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"Engineered Biosystems Building","file":{"fid":"198325","name":"ebb_oct2012_5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ebb_oct2012_5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ebb_oct2012_5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":534038,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ebb_oct2012_5_0.jpg?itok=DvW584gJ"}}},"media_ids":["259621"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/c.gatech.edu\/15nooQ5","title":"Campaign Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11162","name":"Campaign Georgia Tech"},{"id":"16821","name":"Engineered Biosystems Building"},{"id":"46481","name":"Integrated Cancer Research Center"},{"id":"2371","name":"John McDonald"},{"id":"14992","name":"Office of Development"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"258881":{"#nid":"258881","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ChBE Postdoc Receives Prestigious NIH Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Adriana San Miguel, a postdoctoral associate in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Hang Lu, has been awarded a K99\/R00 Pathway to Independence Award by the National Institutes of Health. With a proposed total budget of $927,000, her project is titled, \u201cElucidating synaptic regulators \u003Cem\u003Evia\u003C\/em\u003E high-throughput morphological characterization.\u201d Using the nematode \u003Cem\u003ECaenorhabditis elegans \u003C\/em\u003Eas a model, the proposed work aims to understand how synapses (connections between neurons in our brain) are shaped by environmental and activity-dependent factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe K99\/R00 Pathway to Independence Award is an award given by NIH to postdoctoral scientists to support their transition into an independent faculty appointment. This award provides support for a one- to two-year postdoctoral mentored phase and a successive three-year independent phase as a principal investigator. The main objective of this grant is to support promising scientists in the early stages of their career and accelerate their transition to an independent research position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis competitive award is one of the few available for non-U.S. citizens and is a great complement for prospective faculty candidates. Current faculty members of the Georgia Tech community who have won this award include Dr. Brandon Dixon (Mechanical Engineering) and Dr. Matthew Torres (Biology).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter completing undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) and working in industry for a couple of years, Adriana moved to the United States from her native Mexico to pursue a graduate degree at Georgia Tech. She completed her Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering under the supervision of Dr. Sven Behrens, working on stimulus-responsive microcapsules and emulsions. She is now a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Hang Lu\u2019s lab, where she and others work on integrated engineering systems to perform high-throughput experiments with the nematode \u003Cem\u003EC. elegans\u003C\/em\u003E to answer biological questions that cannot be addressed with conventional methods. Tools developed in the Lu lab, including microfluidics, machine learning and hardware automation, allow unbiased quantitative multidimensional characterization of micron-sized synaptic sites in large animal populations.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27741","created_gmt":"2013-12-04 17:04:33","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:29","author":"Katie Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"258891":{"id":"258891","type":"image","title":"Adriana San Miguel","body":null,"created":"1449243977","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:17","changed":"1475894943","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:03","alt":"Adriana San Miguel","file":{"fid":"198298","name":"san_miguel_adriana.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/san_miguel_adriana_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/san_miguel_adriana_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":885373,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/san_miguel_adriana_0.jpg?itok=jl-XJDcZ"}}},"media_ids":["258891"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nlm.nih.gov\/ep\/pathway.html","title":"NIH Pathway to Independence (PI) Award (K99\/R00)"}],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKatie Brown\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E(404) 385-2299\u003Cbr \/\u003Enews@chbe.gatech.edu\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["news@chbe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"257661":{"#nid":"257661","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clinical Trial Shows Tongue-Controlled Wheelchair Outperforms Popular Wheelchair Navigation System","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter a diving accident left Jason DiSanto paralyzed from the neck down in 2009, he had to learn how to navigate life from a powered wheelchair, which he controls with a sip-and-puff system. Users sip or puff air into a straw mounted on their wheelchair to execute four basic commands that drive the chair. But results from a new clinical study offer hope that sip-and-puff users like DiSanto could gain a higher level of independence than offered by this common assistive technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, individuals with paralysis were able to use a tongue-controlled technology to access computers and execute commands for their wheelchairs at speeds that were significantly faster than those recorded in sip-and-puff wheelchairs, but with equal accuracy. This study is the first to show that the wireless and wearable Tongue Drive System outperforms sip-and-puff in controlling wheelchairs. Sip-and-puff is the most popular assistive technology for controlling a wheelchair.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Tongue Drive System is controlled by the position of the user\u2019s tongue. A magnetic tongue stud lets them use their tongue as a joystick to drive the wheelchair. Sensors in the tongue stud relay the tongue\u2019s position to a headset, which then executes up to six commands based on the tongue position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Tongue Drive System holds promise for patients who have lost the use of their arms and legs, a condition known as tetraplegia or quadriplegia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s really easy to understand what the Tongue Drive System can do and what it is good for,\u201d said Maysam Ghovanloo, an associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a study co-author and principal investigator. \u201cNow, we have solid proof that people with disabilities can potentially benefit from it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was published on Nov. 27 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience Translational Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E. The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Science Foundation funded the research. Scientists from Shepherd Center in Atlanta, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago were also involved in the study. Jeonghee Kim and Hangue Park, who are working on the Tongue Drive System as graduate students at Georgia Tech, are co-authors of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Tongue Drive System is a novel technology that empowers people with disability to achieve maximum independence at home and in the community by enabling them to drive a power wheelchair and control their environment in a smoother and more intuitive way,\u201d said\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENorthwestern co-lead investigator Elliot Roth, M.D, chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and the medical director of the patient recovery unit at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. \u201cThe opportunity to use this high-tech innovation to improve the quality of life among people with mobility limitations is very exciting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team had subjects complete a set of tasks commonly used in similar clinical trials. Subjects in the trials were either able-bodied or people with tetraplegia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy the end of the trials, everybody preferred the Tongue Drive System over their current assistive technology,\u201d said Joy Bruce, manager of Shepherd Center\u2019s Spinal Cord Injury Lab and co-author of the study. \u201cIt allows them to engage their environment in a way that is otherwise not possible for them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers compared how able-bodied subjects were able to execute commands either with the Tongue Drive System or with a keypad and mouse. For example, targets randomly appeared on a computer screen and the subjects had to move the cursor to click on the target. Scientists are able to calculate how much information is transferred from a person\u2019s brain to the computer as they perform a point-and-click task. The performance gap narrowed throughout the trial between the keypad and mouse and the Tongue Drive System.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time, the research team showed that people with tetraplegia can maneuver a wheelchair better with the Tongue Drive System than with the sip-and-puff system. On average, the performance of 11 subjects with tetraplegia using the Tongue Drive System was three times faster than their performance with the sip-and-puff system, but with the same level of accuracy, even though more than half of the patients had years of daily experience with sip-and-puff technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat was a very exciting finding,\u201d Ghovanloo said. \u201cIt attests to how quickly and accurately you can move your tongue.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea for piercing the tongue with the magnet was the inspiration of Anne Laumann, M.D., professor of dermatology at Feinberg and a lead investigator of the Northwestern trial. She had read about an early stage of Tongue Drive System using a glued-on tongue magnet. The problem was the magnet fell off after a few hours and aspiration of the loose magnet was a real danger to these users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTongue piercing put to medical use \u2014 who would have thought it? It is needed and it works!\u201d Laumann said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experiments were repeated over five weeks for the able-bodied test group, and over six weeks for the tetraplegic group. All of the subjects with tetraplegia were able to complete the trial, which Ghovanloo called an \u201cexciting\u201d and \u201cmajor finding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tetraplegic group was using the Tongue Drive System just one day each week, but their improvement in performance was dramatic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe saw a huge, very significant improvement in their performance from session one to session two,\u201d Ghovanloo said. \u201cThat\u2019s an indicator of how quickly people learn this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperiments on the Tongue Drive System to date have been done in the lab or hospital. In future studies, scientists will test how the Tongue Drive System performs outside of the controlled clinical environment. The research team hopes to test how patients maneuver with the Tongue Drive System in their homes and other environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Tongue Drive System isn\u2019t quite ready for commercialization, but Ghovanloo\u2019s startup company, Bionic Sciences, is working with Georgia Tech to move the technology forward. \u003Cbr \/\u003EGhovanloo is the foundering director of the GT-Bionics Laboratory, where his team is experimenting with other devices to improve the quality of life for individuals with disability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of my projects are related to helping people with disabilities using the latest and greatest technologies,\u201d Ghovanloo said. \u201cThat\u2019s my goal in my professional life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiSanto hopes that the one day he\u2019ll be able to use a tongue-powered wheelchair outside of the hospital, which would help him gain some independence he lost after his diving accident.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The Tongue Drive System will greatly increase my quality of life when I can start using it everywhere I go,\u201d DiSanto said. \u201cWith the sip-and-puff system, there is always a straw in front of my face. With the Tongue Drive, people can see you, not just your adaptive equipment.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering under award number 1RC1EB010915, and by the National Science Foundation under awards CBET-0828882 and IIS-0803184. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDr. Ghovanloo\u0027s company, Bionic Sciences, is negotiating with the Georgia Tech Research Corporation for a license to the technologies discussed in this article. If the license is executed, the results of his research on the Tongue Drive System could affect his personal financial status. Dr. Ghovanloo\u0027s Conflict of Interest has been reviewed and approved by Georgia Tech in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: J Kim, et al \u201cThe Tongue Enables Computer and Wheelchair Control for People with Spinal Cord Injury,\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EScience Translational Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/\u003C\/a\u003E 10.1126\/scitranslmed.3006296\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a new clinical trial, individuals with paralysis were able to use a tongue-controlled technology to access computers and execute commands for their wheelchairs at speeds that were significantly faster than those recorded in sip-and-puff wheelchairs, but with equal accuracy. This study is the first to show that the wireless and wearable Tongue Drive System outperforms sip-and-puff in controlling wheelchairs. Sip-and-puff is the most popular assistive technology for controlling a wheelchair.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-11-27 15:11:36","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"257641":{"id":"257641","type":"image","title":"Dr. Ghovanloo and Jason DiSanto","body":null,"created":"1449243856","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:16","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"Dr. Ghovanloo and Jason DiSanto","file":{"fid":"198268","name":"ghovanloo-disanto.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ghovanloo-disanto_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ghovanloo-disanto_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":347706,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ghovanloo-disanto_0.jpg?itok=9CZAJl96"}},"257631":{"id":"257631","type":"image","title":"A pierced tongue for science","body":null,"created":"1449243856","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:16","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"A pierced tongue for science","file":{"fid":"198267","name":"disanto_piercing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/disanto_piercing_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/disanto_piercing_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":328085,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/disanto_piercing_0.jpg?itok=3juyekFP"}},"257621":{"id":"257621","type":"image","title":"Tongue-controlled computer","body":null,"created":"1449243856","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:16","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"Tongue-controlled computer","file":{"fid":"198266","name":"disanto_computer.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/disanto_computer_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/disanto_computer_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":296600,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/disanto_computer_0.jpg?itok=5_lz7wv9"}},"257671":{"id":"257671","type":"image","title":"Wheelchair obstacle course","body":null,"created":"1449243856","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:16","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"Wheelchair obstacle course","file":{"fid":"198269","name":"obstacle_course_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/obstacle_course_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/obstacle_course_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":399715,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/obstacle_course_0_0.jpg?itok=hNV2ZEC_"}}},"media_ids":["257641","257631","257621","257671"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"80981","name":"jason disanto"},{"id":"8781","name":"Maysam Ghovanloo"},{"id":"7135","name":"tetraplegia"},{"id":"8782","name":"Tongue Drive System"},{"id":"80971","name":"tongue piercing"},{"id":"1652","name":"wheelchair"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"257211":{"#nid":"257211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientists Work to Engineer an Injectable Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor a baseball pitcher, a rotator cuff injury often means an extended stay on the disabled list for surgery and rehabilitation of the damaged tendons. But a new technology under development may stop this shoulder injury from becoming so severe that surgery is required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A research team is attempting to engineer an injectable therapy for the shoulder\u2019s supraspinatus tendon, a rotator cuff tendon that is commonly torn in sports. When the tendon is damaged, the body makes things worse by activating enzymes that further break down the tendon. The scientists hope to develop an injectable compound that would deliver an inhibitor capable of blocking these enzymes, thereby reducing the severity of the injury or even healing the tissue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNormally people focus on treating tendon injuries after the tear has occurred, but we\u2019re focusing on a much earlier stage in the disease,\u201d said Johnna Temenoff, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cThis is the first time that an injectable therapy specifically designed to interact with tissue at an early disease state has been attempted for this particular tendon injury.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETemenoff\u2019s work is supported by a $1 million grant from the \u003Cem\u003ENational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)\u003C\/em\u003E for five years of research, which began in September 2013. Collaborating on the research is Manu Platt, an assistant professor in the same department. Temenoff\u2019s previous work on tendon injuries, which focused on quarterbacks in football, was sponsored by the NFL Charities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShoulder tendon injuries are common overuse injuries for athletes and also for industrial workers whose repetitive overhead motion put them at risk. The rotator cuff is a collation of four tendons, and the tendons are made of collagen. Overuse of the tendons damages the collagen, and people feel stiff and sore in their shoulders as the area becomes weaker.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce a tendon is damaged, the body accelerates the damage by activating enzymes that eat at the tendon, worsening the condition over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe interesting thing about this disease is that we don\u2019t know exactly what causes it,\u201d Temenoff said. \u201cWe\u2019re studying enzymes that are known to chew up the collagen, and we\u2019re looking at then delivering inhibitors to those enzymes in a local injection in the tendon to try to stop the degradation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their research, the team will use an animal model to characterize when these collagen-destroying enzymes are the most active. This will give researchers a good idea of when to inject inhibitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo that patients won\u2019t need multiple shots, the scientists are working on a drug delivery material that will release the inhibitors over time once inside the body. One idea is to control the interactions between the inhibitors and small amounts of the blood thinner heparin. The team will also study the histology and mechanics of the tendons after healing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETemenoff said that the injectable therapy could, in theory, work on other kinds of tendon injuries, not just in the shoulder.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re studying the disease in the shoulder, but it\u2019s the same disease that causes tennis elbow, Achilles injuries, and jumper\u2019s knee,\u201d Temenoff said. \u201cIt\u2019s the same process, just in different tendons in the body.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) under award1R01AR063692-01A1\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIAMS. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are attempting to engineer an injectable therapy for the shoulder\u2019s supraspinatus tendon, a rotator cuff tendon that is commonly torn in sports. When the tendon is damaged, the body makes things worse by activating enzymes that further break down the tendon. The scientists hope to develop an injectable compound that would deliver an inhibitor capable of blocking these enzymes, thereby reducing the severity of the injury or even healing the tissue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are attempting to engineer an injectable therapy for the shoulder\u2019s supraspinatus tendon, a rotator cuff tendon that is commonly torn in sports."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-11-25 15:50:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"257231":{"id":"257231","type":"image","title":"Engineering an injectable therapy for rotator cuff injuries.","body":null,"created":"1449243856","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:16","changed":"1475894938","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:58","alt":"Engineering an injectable therapy for rotator cuff injuries.","file":{"fid":"198245","name":"temenoff.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/temenoff_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/temenoff_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":190543,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/temenoff_1.jpg?itok=g8QNaUwi"}}},"media_ids":["257231"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"4124","name":"baseball"},{"id":"14370","name":"Johnna Temenoff"},{"id":"12525","name":"NFL"},{"id":"80831","name":"rotator cuff"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"256801":{"#nid":"256801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two Brothers, One Paper: BME\u0027s Manu Platt and Harvard\u0027s Matthew Platt Publish AIDS Paper","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA paper on American AIDS policy, co-authored by College of Engineering Professor Manu Platt, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the International AIDS Society.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlatt, a professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, worked on this paper with his brother Matthew Platt, an assistant professor in the Government Department at Harvard University. Their paper is called \u0022From GRID to Gridlock: The Relationship between Biomedical Breakthrough and HIV\/AIDS Policy in the U.S. Congress.\u0022 It examines how science discoveries have impacted congressional response to HIV and AIDS from 1981 to 2010. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey studied every bill introduced, hearing held, and law passed by Congress relating to HIV and AIDS and compared this information with the most impactful biomedical research publications. They found that the breakthroughs in science correlated with the number and types of HIV\/AIDS bills introduced in Congress, but did not impact the passage of laws, according to the abstract of the paper. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EManu Platt became interested in this topic when he attended a conference about the discriminatory laws Congress passed on HIV\/AIDS in the 1980s, but stayed on the books for many years. Since Matthew Platt studies how bills are presented in Congress, they decided to complete the study and paper together.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJIAS selects submissions on HIV-related topics from across all scientific disciplines that provide information on advances that have been made for monitoring and providing support for affordable and sustainable treatment, prevention and care programs, according to the JIAS website.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlatt\u2019s research at the College of Engineering focuses on tissue remodeling in arteries due to sickle cell disease or HIV infection, roles of proteases in tumor metastasis, and bone-marrow-derived cell based therapies. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Manu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Manu Platt and brother, Matthew Platt, co-publish paper on AIDS research"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-22 13:49:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61386":{"id":"61386","type":"image","title":"Manu Platt biomedical engineer","body":null,"created":"1449176322","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:42","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Manu Platt biomedical engineer","file":{"fid":"191346","name":"tse51434.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1277779,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tse51434_0.jpg?itok=iqIZGBUS"}}},"media_ids":["61386"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/groups.bme.gatech.edu\/groups\/platt\/","title":"Platt lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.people.fas.harvard.edu\/~mplatt\/","title":"Matthew Platt lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lyndsey.lewis@coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELyndsey Lewis \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lyndsey.lewis@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"254651":{"#nid":"254651","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Todd McDevitt and Krishnendu Roy Recognized for Breakthrough Research and Leadership  In Immunoengineering and Regenerative Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Krishnendu (Krish) Roy and Todd McDevitt to Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Faculty Professorships in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026nbsp;These appointments, generously endowed by the Flanagans in 2011, serve to recognize and reward faculty that are conducting high impact research and are exemplary citizens of the Wallace H. Coulter department and Georgia Tech as a whole. \u0026nbsp;Both Roy and McDevitt are bringing cutting-edge research and thought leadership to the burgeoning fields of immunoengineering and regenerative medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDevitt is an associate professor in the Coulter Department, a Petit Faculty Fellow in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. The objective of McDevitt\u2019s research program is to develop enabling technologies for the directed differentiation of stem cells for regenerative medicine, disease models, and diagnostic applications. Much of his research focuses on the application of technologies to engineer stem cell fate, on stem cell bioprocessing and on engineering regenerative therapies from stem cells. McDevitt has garnered more than $9 million in funding, including a Transformative R01 award from the NIH and an NSF IGERT on Stem Cell Biomanufacturing. He received the 2010 Society for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award, a New Investigator Award from the American Heart Association and was recognized as one of the \u201c40 Under 40\u201d by \u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Trend\u003C\/em\u003E magazine. McDevitt graduated cum laude from Duke University, with a B.S.E. and a double major in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in 2001 in Bioengineering from the University of Washington, where he worked for Patrick S. Stayton, and where he conducted post-doctoral research in the pathology laboratory of Charles E. Murry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy joined the Coulter Department this summer as professor and is currently the director of the Center for Immunoengineering.\u0026nbsp; He is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He received his B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology, M.S. from Boston University and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Following his Ph.D., he joined a start-up biotechnology company, Zycos Inc., where he served as a senior scientist in drug delivery research.\u0026nbsp; He joined The University of Texas at Austin in 2002, where most recently he was professor of Biomedical Engineering. He also served as the director of the graduate program and as associate chair for education and outreach. His research interests are in the areas of immunoengineering with particular focus on material-directed cells signaling and immune cell generation and controlled drug and vaccine delivery technologies with applications in cancer and immunotherapies.\u0026nbsp; Roy has received the Young Investigator Awards from The Society for Biomaterials (SFB) and the Controlled Release Society (CRS). He has been extensively funded by NIH, NSF, the Coulter Foundation, the Whitaker Foundation and the Cancer Prevention And Research Institute of Texas, among others. He serves as a member of the editorial boards for the Journal of Controlled Release and the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory created the joint department of biomedical engineering in the fall of 1997. The collaborative relationship blends the expertise of medical researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine with that of the engineering faculty at Georgia Tech, and is the first of its kind between a public and private institution. The collaboration has resulted in a biomedical engineering program that consistently ranks among the top five in the nation by\u003Cem\u003E U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Flanagans Support Novel, High-Impact Biomedical Research with Endowment"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Krishnendu (Krish) Roy and Todd McDevitt to Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Faculty Professorships in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026nbsp;These appointments, generously endowed by the Flanagans in 2011, serve to recognize and reward faculty that are conducting high impact research and are exemplary citizens of the Wallace H. Coulter department and Georgia Tech as a whole. \u0026nbsp;Both Roy and McDevitt are bringing cutting-edge research and thought leadership to the burgeoning fields of immunoengineering and regenerative medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Krishnendu (Krish) Roy and Todd McDevitt to Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Faculty Professorships in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering."}],"uid":"27182","created_gmt":"2013-11-14 15:15:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:22","author":"Adrianne Proeller","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"243221":{"id":"243221","type":"image","title":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","file":{"fid":"197851","name":"roy-agarwal_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":88915,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg?itok=4Esyg2Dq"}},"254661":{"id":"254661","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"Todd McDevitt","file":{"fid":"198186","name":"todd_mcdevitt_lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4014690,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/todd_mcdevitt_lab_0.jpg?itok=TebBWi34"}}},"media_ids":["243221","254661"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=173","title":"Krishnendu Roy"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=78","title":"Todd McDevitt"}],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"249","name":"Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"5775","name":"Bioscience Research"},{"id":"25821","name":"Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory Center for Regenerative Medicine (GTEC)"},{"id":"73511","name":"immunoengineering"},{"id":"75821","name":"Immunoengineering Center"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdrianne Proeller\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"253151":{"#nid":"253151","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nerem Honored at International Conference for his Lifetime Achievements","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) \u2013 America\u2019s chapter annual meeting for the over forty years that he has dedicated to the bioengineering community.\u0026nbsp; Nerem has lead several national efforts throughout his career and this awards was given in recognition of all of his service.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENerem obtained a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and subsequently his Ph.D. in 1964 from The Ohio State University.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; As a young academic working in aerospace engineering, his initial research was to study radiation from high temperature shock-heated gases.\u0026nbsp; In the late 1960\u2019s, however, he became interested in bioengineering, and after spending the better part of 1970 at Imperial College, London working in the Physiological Flow Studies Unit, he came back to Ohio State with the goal of phasing out his shock tube research and moving into bioengineering space.\u0026nbsp; In the beginning of this next phase of his career, his focus was on hemodynamics and its role in atherosclerosis, and this led to a lifelong fascination with the vascular endothelium. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn 1979 he moved to the University of Houston where he established a cell culture laboratory and began his studies on the effect of physical forces on cell function.\u0026nbsp; When he moved in 1987 to the Georgia Institute of Technology, he continued his research in cell engineering and in 1988 he received his first grant in the area of tissue engineering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003ENerem has been recognized several times throughout his career, including being a Fellow of TERMIS and a member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.\u0026nbsp; He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he is a Foreign Member of both the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Nerem also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Paris, Imperial College London and Illinois Institute of Technology. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition, Nerem co-chaired the task force that led to the formation of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 1991, and he was the founding AIMBE president.\u0026nbsp; From 2002 to 2004 he was president of the Tissue Engineering Society International, the forerunner of TERMIS, and he participated in the discussions that led to the formation of TERMIS. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost recently, in 2012, he chaired a group that conducted a global assessment of stem cell engineering, and this year chaired the organizing committee for a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation on \u201cNew Directions for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine\u201d\u0026nbsp; which was focused on stem cell engineering and their approach both in basic stem cell research and in the translation into clinical therapies and commercial products.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Robert M. Nerem recognized for over 40 years of dedication to field of bioengineering"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem recognized for over 40 years of dedication to field of bioengineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Robert M. Nerem recognized for over 40 years of dedication to field of bioengineering"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-11 08:24:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:18","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"253161":{"id":"253161","type":"image","title":"Robert M. Nerem, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Robert M. Nerem, PhD","file":{"fid":"198145","name":"nerem1-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nerem1-cropped_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nerem1-cropped_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":16034,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nerem1-cropped_0.jpg?itok=LkjApMt0"}}},"media_ids":["253161"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/robert-m-nerem","title":"About Robert M. Nerem"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector Communications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"251511":{"#nid":"251511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"School of Biology researchers receive DOE support","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo proposals by Georgia Tech researchers, Dr. Frank Stewart (Assistant Professor, School of Biology) and Dr. Kostas Konstantinidis (Carlton S. Wilder Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; joint appointment in Biology; \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E), have been selected for the Department of Energy\u0027s 2014 Community Science Program.\u0026nbsp; The CSP provides high-throughput DNA sequencing resources to support genomics research of relevance to urgent energy and environmental challenges. Dr. Stewart\u0027s project seeks to understand how oxygen loss, such as that caused by agricultural runoff, affects microbial pathways of carbon and energy flow in marine ecosystems.\u0026nbsp; Dr. Konstantinidis\u0027 project will explore how microbes survive in the extreme environment of the upper troposphere.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; This project represents a \u0022bold new direction\u0022 for the DOE CSP program and may contribute insight into how microbes affect cloud formation and the Earth\u0027s water cycle.\u0026nbsp; Additional details about 2014 CSP projects can be found at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.jgi.doe.gov\/News\/news_13_10_28.html\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.jgi.doe.gov\/News\/news_13_10_28.html\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.jgi.doe.gov\/News\/news_13_10_28.html\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo proposals by Georgia Tech researchers, Dr. Frank Stewart (Assistant Professor, School of Biology) and Dr. Kostas Konstantinidis (Carlton S. Wilder Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; joint appointment in Biology; \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/enve-omics.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E), have been selected for the Department of Energy\u0027s 2014 Community Science Program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Two proposals by Georgia Tech researchers, Dr. Frank Stewart and Dr. Kostas Konstantinidis, have been selected for the Department of Energy\u0027s 2014 Community Science Program."}],"uid":"27245","created_gmt":"2013-11-06 09:42:19","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:18","author":"Troy Hilley","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"112341":{"id":"112341","type":"image","title":"Frank Stewart","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894731","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:31","alt":"Frank Stewart","file":{"fid":"194156","name":"frank_stewart.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frank_stewart_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frank_stewart_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":514471,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/frank_stewart_0.jpg?itok=5AS_vPDg"}},"101351":{"id":"101351","type":"image","title":"Konstantinidis","body":null,"created":"1449178166","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:26","changed":"1475894720","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:20"}},"media_ids":["112341","101351"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/frank-stewart","title":"Frank Stewart"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/711\/overview","title":"Kostas Konstantinidis"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.jgi.doe.gov\/News\/news_13_10_28.html","title":"DOE JGI 2014 Community Science Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"},{"id":"25111","name":"Frank Stewart"},{"id":"12758","name":"Kostas Konstantinidis"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"250921":{"#nid":"250921","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute Hosts the Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society Americas\u2019 (TERMIS-AM) Conference","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENovember 10-13, 2013, the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at the Georgia Institute of Technology will be hosting the Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society Americas\u2019 (TERMIS-AM) conference in downtown Atlanta.\u0026nbsp; The TERMIS-AM conference brings together the multidisciplinary community engaged or interested in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe theme of this year\u2019s meeting, \u201cCelebrating 25 years of Transformative Science \u0026amp; Engineering,\u201d was inspired by the first federally funded tissue engineering workshop in 1988.\u0026nbsp; An opening plenary session will provide talks from several leaders on how key areas of the field have evolved over the past 25 years, as well as insight on future directions of the field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe are very proud to host the TERMIS-AM 2013 meeting and welcome our international guests to Atlanta,\u201d stated conference chair, Bob Guldberg. \u201cAlthough it has been over a year in the making, the success of this year\u2019s meeting will reflect the efforts of past chairs, advisory committees, trainees and attendees, to build a healthy and vibrant society.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech will be celebrating two national awards at the conference as well.\u0026nbsp; Robert M. Nerem, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and graduate student, Melissa Kinney, will receive a 2013 Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) Young Investigator award.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe are very excited about this year\u2019s scientific program comprised of session topics that focus on the fundamental principles, emerging strategies, and practical applications of the latest advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine,\u201d program chair, Todd McDevitt said. \u201cIn addition to emphasizing basic and applied scientific research themes that broadly impact different tissue and organ systems, we have also included a series of sessions dedicated to clinical translational work.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe conference will open with a special symposium, \u201cTissue Engineering \u0026amp; Regenerative Medicine: Origins and its Evolution,\u201d which will feature past, present and future leaders.\u0026nbsp;The attendees will also hear from distinguished keynote lecturers speaking about innovative approaches that impact new tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies, including \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.termis.org\/am2013\/keynote_1.php\u0022\u003EDeepak Srivastava, MD\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and Director of the Roddenberry Stem Cell Center at Gladstone; \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.termis.org\/am2013\/keynote_2.php\u0022\u003EValerie M. Weaver, PhD\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor, Departments of Surgery and Bioengineering and Therapeutics, and Director, Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, University of California, San Francisco; and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.termis.org\/am2013\/keynote_3.php\u0022\u003EJames M. Wells, PhD\u003C\/a\u003E, endowed chair in Regenerative Medicine and Perinatal Endocrinology and Director, Pluripotent Stem Cell Facility, Cincinnati Children\u2019s Hospital Medical Center.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition, nontraditional activities surrounding the scientific sessions, several of which are new to this conference, will include the Women in Tissue Engineering \u0026amp; Regenerative Medicine luncheon, a session focused on public policy, expanded translational tracks and a student high school outreach event.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Conference for international multidisciplinary community"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EConference for international multidisciplinary community\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Conference for international multidisciplinary community"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-04 13:20:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:14","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"250951":{"id":"250951","type":"image","title":"Bob Guldberg, PhD, and Todd McDevitt, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Bob Guldberg, PhD, and Todd McDevitt, PhD","file":{"fid":"198106","name":"bobguldberg-toddmcdevitt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bobguldberg-toddmcdevitt_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bobguldberg-toddmcdevitt_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":110931,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bobguldberg-toddmcdevitt_0.jpg?itok=DClMe0Xr"}},"70893":{"id":"70893","type":"image","title":"Robert Nerem","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894625","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:45"},"250931":{"id":"250931","type":"image","title":"Melissa Kinney, PhD Candidate, American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellow, NSF Graduate Research Fellow","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Melissa Kinney, PhD Candidate, American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellow, NSF Graduate Research Fellow","file":{"fid":"198105","name":"kinneymelissa.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kinneymelissa_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kinneymelissa_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2567,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/kinneymelissa_0.jpg?itok=SDhJEqQE"}}},"media_ids":["250951","70893","250931"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.termis.org\/am2013\/","title":"TERMIS Americas conference website"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"6500","name":"Petit Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"251261":{"#nid":"251261","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Alumni Association Announces the 2014 Gold \u0026 White Honors Gala Award Recipients","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Alumni Association has announced the recipients to be honored at the second annual Gold \u0026amp; White Honors Gala on Feb. 13 at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Seven members of the Georgia Tech community will be honored with four awards that express the Alumni Association\u2019s appreciation for their service to the Institute, contributions in the community at large and for the inspiration they provide for the alumni leaders of tomorrow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award is the highest award conferred by the Alumni Association, honoring alumni who have provided outstanding support of the Institute and Alumni Association throughout a lifetime, and who have provided leadership in their chosen professions and local communities. Honorees are Charles D. Moseley (IE 65), Deborah A. Nash (IE 78), and Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr. (IM 69).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Dean Griffin Community Service Award recognizes alumni who have performed exemplary community service in the following ways: Service in a long-term volunteer capacity, impact on the quality of life of others, leadership and creativity in dealing with societal problems, and ability to serve as a source of inspiration for others. This year\u2019s honoree is Thomas M. Holder (IM 79).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors alumni younger than 40 who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to Georgia Tech and the Alumni Association, the general welfare of their community, and their profession. This year\u2019s honoree is David A. Bottoms (MGT 01).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Honorary Alumnus Award honors any non\u2013alum who has devoted him\/herself to the greater good of Georgia Tech. This year\u2019s honorees are longtime supporter of Georgia Tech, Brenda E. Nease, and renowned bioengineering professor, Robert M. Nerem, PhD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gold \u0026amp; White Honors Gala is an extraordinary event honoring Georgia Tech\u2019s most distinguished alumni. All proceeds support Alumni Association student programs, which inspire Tech students to become the next generation of alumni leaders. Last year, the Alumni Association raised $293,000 for its student programs at the re-engineered Honors Gala. This year, guests will enjoy a cocktail reception, a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences, an elegant dinner and a chance to mingle with some of Tech\u2019s most accomplished alumni.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEveryone in the Georgia Tech community is invited to attend the 2014 Gold \u0026amp; White Honors Gala. Information on the event is \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/gold\u0026amp;white\u0022\u003Eavailable online\u003C\/a\u003E. Those interested in donating an auction item or sponsoring the Gala may contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:melanie.king@alumni.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMelanie King\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout The Georgia Tech Alumni Association\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Tech Alumni Association (GTAA), chartered in 1908, is an exclusive network of more than 136,000 alumni worldwide tied together by their experience at Georgia Tech. Through the GTAA, Tech alumni get immediate access to the extensive, global alumni network. That includes programs and services designed to enrich both careers and lives. The GTAA is a self-funded, participation-driven organization governed by a board of alumni volunteers. Since 1947, the GTAA\u2019s Roll Call program has raised money to financially support Tech\u2019s academic mission, a tradition that has transformed the Institute into the place it is today. Learn more about the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout The Coca-Cola Company\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world\u2019s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world\u2019s most valuable brand, the Company\u2019s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, they are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world\u2019s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy their beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, the Company is focused on initiatives that reduce the environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for their associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where they operate. Together with their bottling partners, they rank among the world\u2019s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey, follow them on Twitter or check out their blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECoca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE) is the leading Western European marketer, producer, and distributor of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and one of the world\u2019s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers. CCE is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. They operate with a local focus and have 17 manufacturing sites across Europe, where they manufacture nearly 90 percent of their products in the markets in which they are consumed. Corporate responsibility and sustainability is core to our business, and they have been recognized by leading organizations in North America and Europe for their progress in water use reduction, carbon footprint reduction, and recycling initiatives. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Enterprises and follow them on Twitter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor more information, contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kara.petracek@alumni.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKara Petracek\u003C\/a\u003E, Vice President of Events \u0026amp; Campus Relations, at (404) 894-9272.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Robert M. Nerem receives Honorary Alumnus Award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem receives Honorary Alumnus Award\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Robert M. Nerem receives Honorary Alumnus Award"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-05 13:20:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:18","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-11-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"57752":{"id":"57752","type":"image","title":"Robert M. Nerem, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449176051","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:54:11","changed":"1475894506","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:46","alt":"Robert M. Nerem, PhD","file":{"fid":"190649","name":"twq99443.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq99443_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq99443_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":60030,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twq99443_0.jpg?itok=6LofNFc2"}}},"media_ids":["57752"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/gold\u0026white","title":"Gala registration"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kara.petracek@alumni.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKara Petracek\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EVice President of Events \u0026amp; Campus Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kara.petracek@alumni.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"250871":{"#nid":"250871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Petit Institute Hosts Annual Buzz on Biotechnology High School Open House","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn Saturday, October 26th, the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioscience \u0026amp; Bioengineering hosted its annual open house for high school students to come and learn more about the cutting-edge world of biotechnology at Georgia Tech. A capacity crowd of over 400 students, parents and teachers came from 40+ Atlanta area schools to take part in engaging, hands-on scientific demonstrations, tours of state-of-the-art Petit Institute laboratories\u0026nbsp; and biotechnology-focused seminars such as stem cell engineering.\u0026nbsp; They even had a visit from Buzz the GT mascot! \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe program was first created in 2003 by the Petit Institute\u0027s graduate student group, the Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bbugs.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBBUGS\u003C\/a\u003E), to expose young people to biotechnololgy and get them excited about science.\u0026nbsp; Some of the innovative science and engineering demonstrations included \u0022Ribosomal Evolution,\u0022 \u0022Stem Cell Separation,\u0022 \u0022The Cardiovascular System,\u0022 \u0022Hold a Human Brain,\u0022 \u0022Fun with Liquid Nitrogen,\u0022 \u0022Cabbage Acids and Bases,\u0022 \u0022Protein Folding,\u0022 \u0022Functional Finger\u0022 and \u0022Viscoelasticity.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Atlanta area students came to learn about biotechnology at Georgia Tech and get excited about science"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta area students came to learn about biotechnology at Georgia Tech and get excited about science\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Atlanta area students came to learn about biotechnology at Georgia Tech and get excited about science"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-11-04 12:54:46","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:14","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"250881":{"id":"250881","type":"image","title":"Buzz on Biotechnology demonstration","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"Buzz on Biotechnology demonstration","file":{"fid":"198102","name":"buzz_demo_2013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/buzz_demo_2013_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/buzz_demo_2013_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":907975,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/buzz_demo_2013_0.jpg?itok=eHUeOF7I"}}},"media_ids":["250881"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bbugs.gatech.edu\/","title":"http:\/\/www.bbugs.gatech.edu\/"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"6500","name":"Petit Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"249771":{"#nid":"249771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech researchers study aging with disabilities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EImagine the obstacles a blind person who relies on sound will face if he loses his hearing as he ages. Or the difficulty a long-term wheelchair user will confront as she develops arthritis in her shoulders with age.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople with long-term disabilities and chronic conditions will encounter a unique set of challenges as they get older. But that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t age successfully and safely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a five-year $4.6 million grant to increase understanding of the aging process for people with disabilities and use data gleaned from the study to develop technologies that will benefit them and others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in the Department of Education will support the interdisciplinary Center on Technologies to Support Successful Aging with Disability (RERC TechSAge).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis will serve as a major catalyst for understanding the issues at work as well as developing technologies to be used in homes and our communities,\u201d said Professor Jon Sanford, the lead principal investigator who is also director of the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA). \u201cWe are focusing on certain groups but this will be useful for all of society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project classifies disabilities as low vision or blind; deaf or hard of hearing; and mobility limitation, such as using a wheelchair or walker. It focuses primarily on adults 50 and older.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is an emerging population and we aim to get a full understanding of their different needs,\u201d said Professor Wendy Rogers, a co-principal investigator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will assess needs as they relate to work, home, transportation and health care, said Rogers, who leads Georgia Tech\u2019s Human Factors and Aging Laboratory. They will conduct surveys, hold structured interviews and observe participants in different settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnology projects will build on these data. Researchers expect robots will remotely monitor and perform tasks for individuals with disabilities as they age.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETracy Mitzner, the other co-principal investigator and associate director of the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory, will investigate how telerobotics can support older adults with disabilities by allowing them to remain active and improve their physical strength. It would also help aging adults remain social, Mitzner said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother project is expected to result in open source software and hardware that enables robots to better assist people with disabilities as they age, said Charlie Kemp, director of the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKemp\u2019s project will continue his collaboration with Henry and Jane Evans. Henry Evans lives with quadriplegia. Their original collaboration as part of the Robots for Humanity project resulted in Evans briefly using a mobile robot to shave and scratch his face, pull a blanket over himself and perform other tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn all, the vast project will rely on expertise from multiple research centers at Georgia Tech. In addition to CATEA, the School of Psychology and the Healthcare Robotics Lab, those involved include: the Institute for People and Technology, Aware Home Research Initiative, School of Industrial Design, Center for Geographic Information Systems, Alternative Media Access Center, Interactive Media Technology Center, Human-Centered Computing, the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Georgia Tech Research Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Emory Center for Health in Aging and the University of South Carolina will also participate.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute will use five-year grant to develop new technologies to promote successful aging"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a five-year $4.6 million grant to increase understanding of the aging process for people with disabilities and use data gleaned from the study to develop technologies that will benefit them and others.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech has received a five-year $4.6 million grant to increase understanding of the aging process for people with disabilities and use data gleaned from the study to develop technologies that will benefit them and others."}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2013-10-29 20:09:48","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:14","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"249741":{"id":"249741","type":"image","title":"Henry Evans, who lives with quadriplegia, is shaving with a robot.","body":null,"created":"1449243795","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:15","changed":"1475894929","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:49","alt":"Henry Evans, who lives with quadriplegia, is shaving with a robot.","file":{"fid":"198067","name":"hevans_shaving_7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hevans_shaving_7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hevans_shaving_7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":414517,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hevans_shaving_7_0.jpg?itok=hBRRZbyy"}},"249761":{"id":"249761","type":"image","title":"Heath Evans shaving with robot","body":null,"created":"1449243795","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:15","changed":"1475894929","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:49","alt":"Heath Evans shaving with robot","file":{"fid":"198068","name":"hevans_shaving.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hevans_shaving_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hevans_shaving_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":389893,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hevans_shaving_0.jpg?itok=_fJLfyN3"}}},"media_ids":["249741","249761"],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"}],"categories":[{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1531","name":"center for assistive technology and environmental access"},{"id":"2157","name":"Charlie Kemp"},{"id":"78561","name":"Department of Education"},{"id":"78601","name":"Human Factors and Aging Laboratory"},{"id":"555","name":"Jon Sanford"},{"id":"78591","name":"National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research"},{"id":"13001","name":"Wendy Rogers"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Laura.Diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura.Diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Laura.Diamond@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"246631":{"#nid":"246631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Technology That Sorts Cells by Stiffness May Help Spot Disease","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe mechanical properties of cells are often an indicator of disease. Cancer cells are typically soft and squishy. When the malaria parasite is inside a red blood cell, for example, the cell is stiffer than normal. Sickle cells also vary in stiffness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch into the stiffness of diseased cells is lacking, in part due to limits in technology. Researchers have developed a new technology to sort human cells according to their stiffness, which might one day help doctors identify certain diseases in patients, according to a new study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, hopes that their technology might one day aid doctors in the field to rapidly and more accurately diagnose disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new technology is being tested in a small device, about 1 inch wide by 1.5 inches long. Cells are injected into a microfluidic channel on one side of the device. As the cells move through the channel, they are forced to squeeze over a series of ridges that are fabricated at an angle to the channel. If the cells are very flexible, they will easily squeeze over the ridges and follow the fluid stream. But if the cells are stiffer, when they hit a ridge, they will slide along the angled ridge before squeezing over, causing the cells to move to one side, separating them from the softer cells. These ridges eventually separate a single stream of cells into two streams depending on the cells\u2019 stiffness, which in some cases can be an indicator of a disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you imagine a microfluidic channel that is focusing a stream of cells, you\u2019ll push the cells in different directions based on their mechanical properties,\u201d said study co-author Todd Sulchek, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Sulchek specializes in studying the mechanical properties of cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new research was published Oct. 16 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPLOS ONE.\u003C\/em\u003E The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The researchers also have a patent on this technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are no real techniques to sort cells by stiffness right now in large numbers,\u201d said Alexander Alexeev, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. Alexeev is an expert in fluid mechanics and a co-author on the study\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few other research groups are working on microfluidic approaches to sorting cells by stiffness, but Sulchek and Alexeev believe their technology will be quite sensitive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are several microfluidic approaches, but there\u2019s not a real device yet,\u201d Alexeev said. \u201cThe main problem is how to sort cells very rapidly because if we are looking at cancer cells, there are very, very few of them. So we need to look at thousands of millions of cells to capture maybe a hundred cancer cells.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir technology can sort cells at speeds similar to other cell sorting devices, such as a fluorescently activated cell sorter machine, which is a commonly device used in research labs.\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo show that their device can successfully sort cells based on stiffness, the researchers made some cells artificially soft, then labeled them with a different color so they could find them later. After running the cells through their device and analyzing the separated cells by color, they found that the artificially soft cells were separated from the other cells. Then the researchers used atomic force microscopy to probe the cells\u2019 mechanical properties to make sure they were actually different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe show that we separate by stiffness, not by other factors,\u201d Sulchek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested four different commercially available cell lines. White blood cells sort by stiffness particularly well, the researchers reported.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team will now work on using their device to separate cancer cells, malaria-infected cells, and sickle cells, and to sort stem cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re assured the device is very sensitive to say that the soft cells are all soft, but what we don\u2019t know is whether all the disease cells are soft,\u201d Sulchek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from testing for disease, the cell stiffness sorter could also be used in as a method for purifying and enriching an undifferentiated stem cell population from the differentiated cells, which would be useful for laboratory scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is also a useful tool for just basic research and understanding what the effect of specific disease is on cell mechanics,\u201d Alexeev said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGonghao Wang, a PhD student in Sulchek\u2019s lab, is the first author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Science Foundation under award CBET-0932510. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: G Wang, et al., \u201cStiffness Dependent Separation of Cells in a Microfluidic Device,\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EPLOS ONE\u003C\/em\u003E, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0075901\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0075901\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a new technology to sort human cells according to their stiffness, which might one day help doctors identify certain diseases in patients, according to a new study. The research team, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, hopes that their technology might one day aid doctors in the field to rapidly and more accurately diagnose disease.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new technology to sort human cells according to their stiffness, which might one day help doctors identify certain diseases in patients, according to a new study."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-10-17 09:27:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:09","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"246581":{"id":"246581","type":"image","title":"Todd Sulchek","body":null,"created":"1449243758","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:38","changed":"1475894924","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:44","alt":"Todd Sulchek","file":{"fid":"197941","name":"sulchek.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sulchek_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sulchek_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":319357,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sulchek_0.jpg?itok=xyKFiLKr"}},"246591":{"id":"246591","type":"image","title":"Microfluidics device for sorting cells by stiffness","body":null,"created":"1449243758","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:38","changed":"1475894924","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:44","alt":"Microfluidics device for sorting cells by stiffness","file":{"fid":"197942","name":"device-closeup1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/device-closeup1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/device-closeup1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":247137,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/device-closeup1_0.jpg?itok=c9ix6sNU"}},"246601":{"id":"246601","type":"image","title":"Alexander Alexeev","body":null,"created":"1449243758","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:38","changed":"1475894924","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:44","alt":"Alexander Alexeev","file":{"fid":"197943","name":"alexeev.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alexeev_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alexeev_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":351903,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/alexeev_0.jpg?itok=i0q_Sl6l"}}},"media_ids":["246581","246591","246601"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"39581","name":"Alexander Alexeev"},{"id":"77251","name":"cell sorting"},{"id":"77241","name":"cell stiffness"},{"id":"12427","name":"microfluidics"},{"id":"13574","name":"Todd Sulchek"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"250901":{"#nid":"250901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"iGEM Team to Compete in World Championships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s Georgia Tech iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team was one of only 15 teams in North America chosen to compete in the World Championship Jamboree at MIT, November 1-4, 2013. The team\u2019s goal is to develop cells and platelets that display sensory-response behaviors and act as \u2018smart\u2019 biobots which can duplicate the function of cells responsible for repair and adaptation. This is the first time in the four years of Georgia Tech\u0027s participation in iGEM that the team has been awarded the gold medal and advanced to the world championship. The team will travel to MIT in early November for the upcoming competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly 300 colleges and universities from around the world registered a team and participated in this competition. Teams designed and employed standard biological parts in order to carry out a designated function within living cells. Early in October, the Georgia Tech iGEM team was awarded a gold medal at the North American regional jamboree. The team will now advance to the world championship. Out of the 65 registered teams in North America, only 13 undergraduate teams received a gold medal and advanced to the world competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech iGEM team consists of seven undergraduate students: Tilak Balavijayan, Rachael Blackstone, Spencer Cooper, Haoli Du, Casey Haynes, Jack Jenkins, and Jessica Siemer. The team was assembled in the summer of 2013 and has been working towards expressing human integrin sensors on the surface of E. coli cells, a feat that has not yet been accomplished. The team is advised by Anton Bryksin, Vince Fiore, and Haylee Bachman, lab space was provided by Thomas Barker in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Georgia Tech and partial financial support by the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method. The iGEM Jamboree is the largest annual gathering of synthetic biologists.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech team was one of only 15 teams in North America chosen to compete."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s goal is to develop cells and platelets that display sensory-response behaviors and act as \u2018smart\u2019 biobots which can duplicate the function of cells responsible for repair and adaptation. This is the first time in the four years of Georgia Tech\u0027s participation in iGEM that the team has been awarded the gold medal and advanced to the world championship. The team will travel to MIT in early November for the upcoming competition.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech team was one of only 15 teams in North America chosen to compete."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2013-11-04 13:09:03","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:14","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"250911":{"id":"250911","type":"image","title":"GT iGEM","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"GT iGEM","file":{"fid":"198104","name":"500px-gtigem.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/500px-gtigem_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/500px-gtigem_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":32954,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/500px-gtigem_0.jpg?itok=xT9DaV0M"}},"250891":{"id":"250891","type":"image","title":"iGEM","body":null,"created":"1449243813","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:33","changed":"1475894931","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:51","alt":"iGEM","file":{"fid":"198103","name":"imgres.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/imgres_3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/imgres_3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7652,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/imgres_3.jpg?itok=6fuQfawZ"}}},"media_ids":["250911","250891"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdrainne Proeller\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["adrianne.proeller@bme.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"246231":{"#nid":"246231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Accepting mentor project submissions for 2014 Petit Undergraduate Research Scholars","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Petit Undergraduate Research Scholars program provides an opportunity for graduate students and post doctoral fellows to mentor undergraduate scholars for valuable mentoring and project management experience while allowing them to further their research interests. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 2014 program will run from January through December and the application review and interview process will take place in October\/November of 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenefits to Mentors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGraduate student mentors receive $750 for travel\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGreat CV builder, most employers prefer PhD\u2019s with management experience\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELabs receive $2,000 for materials and supplies\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor complete Petit Mentor program information, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/become-a-petit-scholar-mentor\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EProject submission deadline \u003Cstrong\u003EFriday, October 25, 2013\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Project submission deadline October 25th"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProject submission deadline October 25th\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Project submission deadline October 25th"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-16 14:11:23","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:09","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"146471":{"id":"146471","type":"image","title":"Kevin Parsons and Matthew Nipper, Petit Scholar and Mentor","body":null,"created":"1449178751","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:39:11","changed":"1475894779","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:19","alt":"Kevin Parsons and Matthew Nipper, Petit Scholar and Mentor","file":{"fid":"195085","name":"12c3030-p1-126.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12c3030-p1-126_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12c3030-p1-126_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2362417,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/12c3030-p1-126_0.jpg?itok=kQ83A1R2"}}},"media_ids":["146471"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/become-a-petit-scholar-mentor","title":"Petit Mentor program website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"243181":{"#nid":"243181","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cells Prefer Nanodiscs Over Nanorods","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years scientists have been working to fundamentally understand how nanoparticles move throughout the human body. One big unanswered question is how the shape of nanoparticles affects their entry into cells. Now researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how the shape of nanoparticles affects their transport into cells could be a major boost for the field of nanomedicine by helping scientists to design better therapies for various diseases, such as improving the efficacy and reducing side effects of cancer drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to nanoparticle geometry, the researchers also discovered that different types of cells have different mechanisms to pull in nanoparticles of different sizes, which was previously unknown. The research team also used theoretical models to identify the physical parameters that cells use when taking in nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis research identified some very novel yet fundamental aspects in which cells interact with the shape of nanoparticles,\u201d said Krishnendu Roy, who recently joined the Wallace H. Coulter\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepartment of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Roy conducted this research at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Profs. S. V. Sreenivasan and Li Shi, but is continuing the work at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was scheduled to be published the week of Oct. 7 in the early online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy\u2019s team used a unique approach to making the differently shaped nanoparticles. The researchers adapted an imprinting technology used in the semiconductor industry and rigged it to work with biological molecules, Roy said. This imprinting technique, which they developed at UT-Austin, works like a cookie cutter but on the nanoscale. Drugs are mixed with a polymer solution and dispensed on a silicon wafer. Then a shape is imprinted onto the polymer-drug mixture using a quartz template. The material is then solidified using UV light. Whatever the cookie cutter\u2019s template \u2013 triangle, rod, disc \u2013 a nanoparticle with that shape is produced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key feature of the nanoparticles is that they are negatively charged and are hydrophilic, attributes that make them relevant for clinical use in drug delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have exquisite control over the shapes and sizes,\u201d said Roy, who is a Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Fellow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis team then used particles of various shapes and sizes to see how different kinds of cultured mammalian cells would respond to them. The materials and surface charges of the particles were all the same, only the shapes differed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy\u2019s team was not expecting cells to prefer discs over rods. They found that in cell culture, unlike spherical nanoparticles, larger sized discs and rods are taken up more efficiently, a finding that was also unexpected. When they ran theoretical calculations they found that the energy required by a cell membrane to deform and wrap around a nanoparticle is lower for discs than rods and that gravitational forces and surface properties play a significant role in nanoparticle uptake in cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe reason this has been unexplored is that we did not have the tools to make these precisely-shaped nanoparticles,\u201d Roy said. \u201cOnly in the past seven or eight years have there been a few groups that have come up with these tools to make polymer particles of various sizes and shapes, especially in the nanoscale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECells take in nanoparticles through a process called endocytosis, but depending on the shape and cell-type, specific uptake pathways are triggered, the team discovered. Some cells rely on proteins in their membranes called caveolin; others use a different membrane protein, known as clathrin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how cells respond to the shapes of nanoparticles is important not just for drug delivery, but also for understanding the toxicity of nanomaterials used in consumer products. Roy\u2019s new work provides another piece to solving this puzzle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople are making different nanoscale stuff with various materials without fundamentally understanding their interactions with cells,\u201d Roy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future work at Georgia Tech, Roy\u2019s lab would like to investigate how the shapes of nanomaterials affect their transport and function in animal models. This will give researchers a better idea how the particles move into tumors, pass across mucosal surfaces and distribute into organs, and ultimately aid in clinical therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c99.9 percent of our work is still to be done, which we want to continue to do here at Tech in collaboration with researchers at UT,\u201d Roy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers on the study include Rachit Agarwal, the lead author who is now a post-doctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, as well as Vikramjit Singh, Patrick Jurney, Li Shi and S.V. Sreenivasan, all of whom were at The University of Texas at Austin\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Science Foundation under award CMMI0900715, and by the National Institutes of Health under award EB008835. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: R. Agarwal, et al., \u201cMammalian Cells Preferentially Internalize Hydrogel Nanodiscs over Nanorods and Use Shape-Specific Uptake Mechanisms,\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1305000110\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1305000110\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years scientists have been working to fundamentally understand how nanoparticles move throughout the human body. One big unanswered question is how the shape of nanoparticles affects their entry into cells. Now researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-10-07 16:34:29","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"243221":{"id":"243221","type":"image","title":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","file":{"fid":"197851","name":"roy-agarwal_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":88915,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg?itok=4Esyg2Dq"}},"243211":{"id":"243211","type":"image","title":"Silicon wafer","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Silicon wafer","file":{"fid":"197850","name":"silicon-wafer.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103261,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg?itok=EZJmWjy2"}}},"media_ids":["243221","243211"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1588","name":"bionanotechnology"},{"id":"1503","name":"Biotechnology"},{"id":"12786","name":"Krishnendu Roy"},{"id":"76011","name":"nanodiscs"},{"id":"2971","name":"nanorods"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-384-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"242761":{"#nid":"242761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 18th annual Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head will be held March 26-29, 2014 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in Harbour Town.\u0026nbsp; The 2014 meeting has a powerhouse line-up of speakers in a breadth of topics in the regenerative medicine field. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis year\u2019s workshop will focus on \u201cDiscovery-Driven, Transformative Research\u201d and abstracts are due by December 15, 2013.\u0026nbsp; For the first time, the Georgia Tech and Emory Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center will partner with both the University of Wisconsin and University of Pittsburgh as organizing institutions. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe are looking forward to partnering with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Wisconsin, both of which are renowned innovators in the field of regenerative medicine,\u201c said Robert E. Guldberg, director of the Regenerative Engineering \u0026amp; Medicine Center at Georgia Tech and Emory.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition to new partners, the workshop has an entirely new look, to include a new website, and exciting new sponsorship opportunities. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis annual workshop sells out each year at around 250 participants.\u0026nbsp; The intimate environment allows for ample discussion time with attending faculty, trainees, industry participants and exhibitors. The program, which spans three days, starts with a focused short course and continues on with presentations ranging in topics. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENerem Lecturer\u003Cbr \/\u003EDoug Lauffenburger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeynote Speakers\u003Cbr \/\u003EStephan Duncan, PhD \u2013 Medical College of Wisconsin \u003Cbr \/\u003EJeanne Loring, PhD - The Scripps Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003ESean Palecek, PhD \u2013 University of Wisconsin \u2013 Madison\u003Cbr \/\u003ESuzie Pun, PhD \u2013 University of Washington\u003Cbr \/\u003EDave Schaffer, PhD \u2013 University of California, Berkeley\u003Cbr \/\u003ETim Schroeder, PhD - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich\u003Cbr \/\u003EMolly Scoichet, PhD \u2013 University of Toronto\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarius Wernig, PhD \u2013 Stanford\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor more information, please visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.regenerativemedicineworkshop.com\u0022\u003ERegenerative Medicine Workshop\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New look, new partners, new opportunities"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERegenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head - New look, new partners, new opportunities\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New look, new partners, new opportunities"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-04 12:34:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"242771":{"id":"242771","type":"image","title":"Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Regenerative Medicine Workshop at Hilton Head","file":{"fid":"197831","name":"rmwlogo_0.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rmwlogo_0_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rmwlogo_0_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":17752,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rmwlogo_0_0.png?itok=MVkLsxgL"}}},"media_ids":["242771"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.regenerativemedicineworkshop.com\/","title":"Regenerative Medicine Workshop website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"242701":{"#nid":"242701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches New Immunoengineering Center","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 15 faculty from seven different schools and departments join together to form the new Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp; This new effort brings biomedical engineers, bioengineers, chemical engineers, chemists, biologists and mechanical engineers together to encourage new innovative approaches to study the immune system and to assess, predict and control immune response. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKrish Roy, PhD, professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and faculty member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (Petit Institute), will head the new center. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe mission of the Immunoengineering Research Center is to develop breakthrough engineering tools and methods for personalized and predictive health care of patients. The center will focus on three grand challenges: ability to rapidly provide a comprehensive immunological status of a patient, to quantitatively predict immune function in a patient and to precisely modulate and control the immune response of a patient. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThe center will facilitate integration between Georgia Tech researchers and partner institutions including Emory University and its various immunology and vaccine centers,\u201d Roy explained.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition to Roy, the center will be led by a faculty executive committee which includes, M.G. Finn, professor, school of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Susan Thomas, assistant professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and associate professors, Julia Babensee and Melissa Kemp and Cheng Zhu, professor from biomedical engineering. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cDeveloping engineering technologies to modulate the immune system is critical to manage autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes, as well as to address immunodeficiencies,\u201d Ravi Bellamkonda, chair of the biomedical engineering department, stated. \u201cIt is increasingly apparent that the immune system also plays an important role in regeneration of injured tissues and therefore immunoengineering can have a broad and significant impact on human health.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENew mechanistic methods based on engineering principles are being developed which in recent years have lead to tremendous strides in the development of potential therapeutics and the identification of new vaccine design, better biomaterials, as well as new avenues for commercialization and clinical translation. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThere is tremendous opportunity in bringing this group of researchers together under the immunoengineering umbrella,\u201d Robert Guldberg, executive director of the Petit Institute, said. \u201cThis new center will bring together researchers from a wide-variety of backgrounds to tackle complex research problems in new and exciting ways.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Includes more than 15 faculty from seven different GT schools \u0026 departments"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Launches New Immunoengineering Center - Includes more than 15 faculty from seven different GT schools \u0026amp; departments\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Includes more than 15 faculty from seven different GT schools \u0026 departments"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-04 10:52:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:00","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"242711":{"id":"242711","type":"image","title":"Krishnendu Roy, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Krishnendu Roy, PhD","file":{"fid":"197829","name":"roy_krish.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy_krish.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy_krish.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13278,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/roy_krish.jpg?itok=l7uPtvh0"}}},"media_ids":["242711"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/roylab.gatech.edu\/roy\/index.html","title":"Roy lab website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"75821","name":"Immunoengineering Center"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"277861":{"#nid":"277861","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Info Session on Open Science Data Cloud PIRE Summer Fellowships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETravel abroad while researching the latest technologies in cloud computing with NSF funded OSDC-PIRE fellowship.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Open Science Data Cloud PIRE project provides international research and education experiences through training and study at universities and research institutes around the world with leading scientists in computing. Increase your expertise in managing and analyzing data.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOSDC PIRE Supported International Research Experience:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6-8-week summer funded fellowships at collaborator sites for graduate students to participate in sophisticated international \u25a1 research collaborations. Teams will be developing and doing research in cloud-based services \u0026amp; applications.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOSDC Foreign Partners:\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Science, Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Universidade de Sa\u0303o Paulo (USP), Brazil Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou must be a US Resident or Citizen in order to participate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pire.opensciencedatacloud.org\/pire-fellowship\/pire-application\/%20\u0022\u003ESubmit application\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInternational research and education experiences through training and study with leading scientists in computing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"International research and education experiences through training and study with leading scientists in computing"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2014-02-20 17:51:03","changed_gmt":"2017-04-13 21:23:07","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2014-02-27T15:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2014-02-27T16:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2014-02-27T16:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2014-02-27 20:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2014-02-27 21:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2014-02-27 21:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/pire.opensciencedatacloud.org\/pire-fellowship\/pire-application\/","title":"Submit application"},{"url":"mailto:pire@opensciencedatacloud.org","title":"PIRE Open Science Date Cloud"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"},{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lisa.redding@biology.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELisa Redding\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"244711":{"#nid":"244711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Garcia Awarded Regents\u0027 Professorship","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia Board of Regents has appointed Andres Garcia, professor of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineeing at Georgia Tech, as a Regents\u2019 Professor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Andres\u0027 work in biomaterials and tissue engineering is seminal, \u0022 said Bill Wepfer, Chair of the Woodruff School. \u0022Andres is a great colleague and is fun to be around which is why he is such a great advisor, mentor, and role model for our students!\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA Regents\u0027 Professorship title represents the highest academic status bestowed by the University System of Georgia. It is meant to recognize a substantial, significant and ongoing record of scholarly achievement that has earned high national esteem over a sustained period. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGarcia was recognized for his work with biomaterials, his excellence in research, teaching and service, and his leadership role in bioengineering education on campus and biomaterials research around the world. Garcia has established an internationally recognized program on engineering novel biomaterials and cell-delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine applications, including bone repair, vascularization, inflammation, and tissue morphogenesis. His research integrates engineering principles with cell and molecular biology to provide fundamental insights into mechanisms regulating cell-material interactions and constitute creative approaches to the engineering of bioactive materials for enhanced tissue repair. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier bioengineering and bioscience journals, including Science Translational Medicine, PNAS, Biomaterials, Advanced Materials, and Molecular Biology of the Cell. These papers have been cited over 4,700 times.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Regents\u2019 Professors titles are awarded by the Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Georgia, upon the unanimous recommendation of the president, the chief academic officer, the appropriate academic dean and three other faculty members named by the president, and upon the approval of the chancellor and the committee on academic affairs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Andres Garcia receives top distinction"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndres Garcia receives top distinction\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Andres Garcia receives top distinction"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-12 10:51:42","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:09","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"211761":{"id":"211761","type":"image","title":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","body":null,"created":"1449180039","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:39","changed":"1475894874","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:54","alt":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","file":{"fid":"197065","name":"vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg?itok=SbhKm7W7"}}},"media_ids":["211761"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.garcialab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Garcia lab website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMelissa Zbeeb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"242691":{"#nid":"242691","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Monsanto accepting applications for summer internship opportunities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAll Georgia Tech undergraduates interested in biotechnology are eligible to apply for the below summer internship opportunities at Monsanto.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwenty years from now, the earth\u2019s population will need 55% more food than it can produce now. Today, Monsanto is working with farmers around the world to do something about it. In more than 60 countries, we have established industry-leading products because we give professionals like you the freedom to make real decisions. We also have professional development programs and a history of building careers. After all, you\u2019ll solve what could be mankind\u2019s greatest challenge. Are you ready to start dreaming bigger?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFrom your first day, you\u2019ll be a contributing member of the team with meaningful responsibilities, which allows you to have a realistic look at a career with Monsanto. You\u2019ll gain valuable professional experience and developmental feedback through paid, full-time positions. The program helps us assess your career potential as the majority of our \u2018new graduate\u2019 hiring comes from interns and co-ops. It\u2019s a great way to get the inside track on how an industry leader like Monsanto works.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternships\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStudents typically participate in the Intern Program during their summer break. In this 10-12 week continuous learning experience, you\u2019ll have the ability to make an immediate impact thru a variety of work assignments and projects. You\u2019ll also have access to training, networking, and professional guidance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenefits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGain in depth experience working with an global industry leader\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENetwork at Executive Speaker presentations to learn from leaders of the company\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERelocation assistance\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBiweekly salary\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho We Look For\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESophomores and above with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Students with freshman standing considered\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHigh interpersonal and communication skills, ability to interact well with a team and have the ability to work independently.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESelf motivated individuals with strong detail and results orientation and demonstrated strong problem solving skills.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAbility\/willingness to relocate for the duration of the assignment\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo be considered for these summer internship opportunities, interested GT candidates should FIRST submit their applications \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.monsanto.com\/careers\/Pages\/student-opportunties.aspx\u0022\u003Eonline\u003C\/a\u003E to specific internship openings and then forward a resume directly to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech indicating to which openings have been applied.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Open to all Georgia Tech undergrads interested in biotechnology"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMonsanto accepting applications for summer internship opportunities - Open to all Georgia Tech undergrads interested in biotechnology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Open to all Georgia Tech undergrads interested in biotechnology"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-04 10:28:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:00","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"177271":{"id":"177271","type":"image","title":"Monsanto Summer Internships","body":null,"created":"1449179031","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:51","changed":"1475894822","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:02","alt":"Monsanto Summer Internships","file":{"fid":"195914","name":"monsanto_200x200.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/monsanto_200x200_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/monsanto_200x200_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4897,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/monsanto_200x200_0.jpg?itok=rK0ElkQe"}}},"media_ids":["177271"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.monsanto.com\/careers\/Pages\/student-opportunties.aspx","title":"Monsanto summer internship job website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"22881","name":"monsanto summer internships"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"240801":{"#nid":"240801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Faculty Member Selected as One of Georgia Trend\u2019s \u201c40 Under 40\u201d","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the seventeenth year, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/October-2013\/2013-Forty-Under-Forty\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Trend Magazine\u003C\/a\u003E has selected a group of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/October-2013\/2013-Forty-Under-Forty\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E40 Georgians under the age of 40\u003C\/a\u003E who they consider the state\u2019s \u201cBest and Brightest\u201d across different sectors, including business, government, politics, nonprofits, arts, finance and the military. Todd McDevitt, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, was chosen among this year\u2019s selections. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcDevitt\u2019s service to the Georgia community has been through a combination of research, education and policy efforts.\u0026nbsp; His research program is focused on \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eengineering stem cell technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, which represents efforts to transform the potential of stem cells into clinically viable and useful regenerative therapies and diagnostic tools. To date, McDevitt has been responsible for over $10 million of research funding and has employed more than 30 trainees and advised over 50 undergraduate researchers.\u0026nbsp; He has published over 45 journal articles in the top journals in his field and he has a number of national awards to his credit. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cTodd is a young leader helping to define the emerging field of stem cell engineering,\u2019\u201d Ravi Bellamkonda, chair of the BME department stated. \u201cFrom early on in his career, he has had a vision for what it is going to take for stem cells to become useful for scientific discovery and help heal cardiac and other tissues for Georgians and beyond.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcDevitt\u2019s research, at the interface of biomaterials, tissue engineering and stem cell biology, has been recognized by receipt of the 2010 Young Investigator Award from the Society for Biomaterials and he was chosen as one of 30 U.S. scientists age 45 and under to be invited to participate in a Frontiers of Engineering symposia series hosted by the National Academy of Engineering. In addition, McDevitt was recently appointed to a six-member panel of North American experts by the National Science Foundation to a conduct an international assessment of stem cell engineering research and development efforts that is intended to inform strategic investments by the U.S. in this emerging area of biotechnology. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cHaving creative and potentially \u2018disruptive\u2019 ideas from the outset can be particularly challenging for a younger faculty member because of limited resources to pursue new concepts and the number of times that grant proposals are usually rejected for truly ground-breaking science,\u201d said Robert M. Nerem, professor emeritus, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Parker H. Petit Distinguished Chair for Engineering in Medicine at Georgia Tech. \u201cTodd\u2019s sincere desire is to work on things that really matter and are often one or two steps ahead of the current thinking of many in the field.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn support of this, McDevitt was awarded a $2 million \u201cTransformative\u201d grant from the National Institute\u2019s of Health from the Office of the Director in 2011. Some of his recent work, published in \u003Cem\u003ENature Methods\u003C\/em\u003E, was featured by Francis Collins, the director of the National Institute\u2019s of Health, on his personal blog. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELocally, he has been recognized as one of Georgia Trend\u2019s Most Influential Georgians (Notables) in 2010 and 2011.\u0026nbsp; At Georgia Tech McDevitt has been recognized with the \u201cBest Advisor\u201d Award from the BioEngineering Graduate Program in 2013, the Above and Beyond (Eagle) Award from the Georgia Tech Biomedical Engineering Society student chapter in 2011, the Junior Faculty Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award in 2010 and the Petit Institute Interdisciplinary Research and Education Above \u0026amp; Beyond Award in 2009. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition to his scholarly activities, McDevitt is dedicated to educating the public about stem cell research and its potential applications.\u0026nbsp; Examples of his community service include visits to high schools, speaking at public events throughout the state, including TEDx Georgia Tech, as well as regularly hosting tours and visitors in his lab. In addition, McDevitt is also the director of a $3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrated Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program on \u003Ca href=\u0022Stem%20Cell%20Biomanufacturing%20\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStem Cell Biomanufacturing\u003C\/a\u003E that was highlighted in the journal, \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, as an \u0022out-of-the-box\u0022 novel graduate training program. This program will train 30 graduate students over 5 years for careers in this rapidly emerging field.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcDevitt joined the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology \/ Emory in 2004. In 2009 he was appointed as a Petit Faculty Fellow in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and was named as the Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/stemcellengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStem Cell Engineering Center\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. As the director of the center, his\u0026nbsp; main goal has been to expand the scope of stem cell-related research at Georgia Tech, expand collaborations with other Georgia universities, develop competitive large multi-investigator grants, and attract industrial research and foster start-up companies to contribute to biotechnology economic development in the state. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI was very surprised and honored when Georgia Trend notified me that I was receiving this recognition,\u201d McDevitt stated. \u201cGeorgia is an amazing state, with tremendous potential to become a hot bed for biotech and I am just happy to contribute in whatever way I can to this growing bio-economy in addition to spreading the word about the potential of stem cells to revolutionize biomedical therapies.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/October-2013\/2013-Forty-Under-Forty\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Trend Article - 40 Under 40\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Todd McDevitt recognized for achievements in stem cell engineering research and service."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETodd McDevitt recognized for achievements in stem cell engineering research and service.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Todd McDevitt recognized for achievements in stem cell engineering research and service."}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-09-27 07:36:31","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:56","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70133":{"id":"70133","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt\/Marissa Cooke\/Alyssa Ngangan","body":null,"created":"1449177288","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:14:48","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"},"242911":{"id":"242911","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt - 40 Under 40","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Todd McDevitt - 40 Under 40","file":{"fid":"197841","name":"georgiatrend_page_26.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/georgiatrend_page_26_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/georgiatrend_page_26_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":361827,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/georgiatrend_page_26_0.jpg?itok=KtKsl2Dz"}},"242901":{"id":"242901","type":"image","title":"40 Under 40","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"40 Under 40","file":{"fid":"197840","name":"georgiatrend_page_18.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/georgiatrend_page_18_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/georgiatrend_page_18_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":140214,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/georgiatrend_page_18_0.jpg?itok=egkoawM7"}}},"media_ids":["70133","242911","242901"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/","title":"McDevitt Research Lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/scec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Stem Cell Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/October-2013\/2013-Forty-Under-Forty\/","title":"Georgia Trend Article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"167490","name":"SCEC"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"167603","name":"Stem Cell Engineering"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EColly Mitchell\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for \u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Trend Article\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.georgiatrend.com\/October-2013\/2013-Forty-Under-Forty\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u002240 Under 40\u0022\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"243011":{"#nid":"243011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ragauskas Honored for Work in Green Chemistry by American Chemical Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps there\u2019s no man at Georgia Tech who\u2019s doing more to help prepare mankind for a green future than Art Ragauskas, professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. To recognize that, the American Chemical Society (ACS) selected him as the winner of the 2014 ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis award is a reflection of the students, researchers and research partners through out the world, along with the Georgia Tech community that I have the honor to collaborate and work with on high priority green research challenges,\u201d said Ragauskas. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERagauskas works in the realm of converting the kind of plant matter known as lingocellulose into biofuels as well as biobased chemicals and materials that can be used in applications ranging from health care to packing material. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUsing plant materials to take the place of plastics in these materials can do wonders for the environment as it lessens our demand for petroleum and creates products that are biodegradable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cAs our fundamental understanding of biomass chemistry is advanced and leveraged with developments in plant genomics, biotechnology, modeling and society\u0027s need for sustainable technologies, yesterday\u0027s vision of biorefining is becoming today\u2019s reality. My team and I, are honored to participate in this scientific endeavor,\u201d said Ragauskas.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERagauskas will be honored by the ACS at their National Meeting in Dallas next March.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Art Ragauskas to receive award at national meeting"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERagauskas Honored for Work in Green Chemistry by American Chemical Society - Art Ragauskas to receive award at national meeting\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Art Ragauskas to receive award at national meeting"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-10-07 10:28:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"243021":{"id":"243021","type":"image","title":"Art Ragauskas, PhD - Professor, School of Chemistry \u0026 Bioschemistry, Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Art Ragauskas, PhD - Professor, School of Chemistry \u0026 Bioschemistry, Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"197846","name":"ragauskasart.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ragauskasart_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ragauskasart_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":319650,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ragauskasart_0.jpg?itok=rDQ3HH-e"}}},"media_ids":["243021"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ipst.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ragauskas_art\/bio_ragauskas_art.html","title":"Center for Biomaterials Education and Research website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDavid Terraso\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"236651":{"#nid":"236651","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Awards $2 Million For Engineering Approach to Understanding Lymphedema","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health has awarded Georgia Tech a $2-million research grant to unravel the mechanical forces at play in lymphedema, a poorly understood disease with no cure and little hope for sufferers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELymphedema develops when the body fails to circulate lymphatic fluid, a mixture of immune cells, proteins, and lipids. This fluid builds up in the arms, legs and genitals \u2014 sometimes causing extreme swelling and permanent remodeling of the tissue. The mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease are unclear, so professor J. Brandon Dixon\u2019s lab will use an engineering approach to studying the disease. This innovative methodology could lead to new technologies to test and treat lymphatic disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESolving this biological problem with engineering is an ideal strategy, Dixon said, because the lymphatic system is an engineered system \u2014 essentially a very complicated network of pumps. In a healthy person, the lymphatic system pumps the lymphatic fluid around the body, draining excess fluid from tissues and returning it to the circulation. Understanding the details of how the system works, and what goes wrong when it fails during lymphedema, requires engineering expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI really think the reason we\u2019re so far behind in lymphatic research compared to vascular research is technology,\u201d said Dixon, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cYou can go to the most advanced lymphedema center in the world and it\u2019s still difficult to say how well your lymphatic system is working.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDixon\u2019s lab is located in Georgia Tech\u2019s Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, a unique collaborative unit of experts from engineering and the life sciences. He\u2019s one of only a handful of engineers in the world that study the mechanical forces at work in lymphedema.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lymphatic system is difficult to see and access, but Dixon\u2019s expertise lies in developing engineering technologies such as imaging and recreating the lymphatic environment in the lab. His lab has pioneered technologies to manipulate the micromechanical environment on cells and in isolated vessels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy teasing apart the workings of the lymphatic system, Dixon\u2019s research could lead to diagnostic technologies that measure how well the lymphatic system is functioning, and also to therapies that manipulate the system and stop the painful swelling that occurs during lymphedema.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the past 30 years, little progress has been made in treating lymphedema. Patients are treated with compression wraps to limit painful swelling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELimited research on the prevalence of lymphedema suggests that between 20 and 60 percent of post-mastectomy breast cancer patients develop the disease. One in six women will get breast cancer, estimates suggest. Worldwide, lymphedema affects more than 100 million people. In undeveloped countries, parasites can cause a severe form of lymphedema-related swelling known as filariasis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists cannot yet say what causes lymphedema in post-mastectomy breast cancer patients, nor can they assign a patient-specific risk of developing the disease. And since lymphedema can arise as long as six years after surgery, determining cause and effect is difficult. The later the onset, the more likely patients are to report the swelling to their general practitioner and not their cancer surgeon. This uneven reporting makes it hard to measure the burden that lymphedema places on the healthcare system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s hard to measure the cost of lymphedema,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like a stroke where there\u2019s an obvious event that occurs and a rate of death. People don\u2019t die of lymphedema, per se.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELong-term lymphedema-related swelling is not from the fluid itself, but from actual growth of the affected limb through fibrosis and the deposition of fats. Scientists don\u2019t yet understand what causes this. Dixon\u2019s hypothesis is that something happens during breast cancer surgery that changes the mechanical forces on lymphatic vessels that impairs their ability to pump this fat-containing fluid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf the pump doesn\u2019t work, it\u2019s like a feedback loop,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cYou get accumulation of fluid and other remodeling of the tissue, which in turn leads to greater lymphatic failure\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test the hypothesis, Dixon\u2019s lab will mechanically perturb lymphatic vessels in isolated vessels, and cells. They\u2019ll stretch them and ramp up the fluid flow rates across them and observe changes in vessels function and remodeling. Clues about how the vessels work might be found in genes that are switched on and off, changes in pump rate, buildup of extracellular matrix, and other biological abnormalities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another experiment, the lab will use animal models to explore what happens to the lymphatic vessels after breast cancer surgery. The researchers plan to destroy one lymphatic vessel and observe what happens to the system as it tries to compensate for the loss.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData from the experiments will feed a mathematical model of the growth and remodeling of lymphatic vessels, which is under development by Dixon\u2019s collaborator on the project, Rudolph Gleason, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso collaborating on the project is Mari Muthuchamy, a professor of medical physiology at the Texas A\u0026amp;M Health Science Center in College Station, Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institutes of Health under award R01HL113061. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404 894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health has awarded Georgia Tech a $2-million research grant to unravel the mechanical forces at play in lymphedema, a poorly understood disease with no cure and little hope for sufferers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NIH has awarded Georgia Tech a $2-million research grant to unravel the mechanical forces at play in lymphedema."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-09-11 16:29:28","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:23","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"237061":{"id":"237061","type":"image","title":"Assistant professor Brandon Dixon","body":null,"created":"1449243659","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:59","changed":"1475894911","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:31","alt":"Assistant professor Brandon Dixon","file":{"fid":"197696","name":"dixon-profile-lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-profile-lab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-profile-lab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":143203,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dixon-profile-lab_0.jpg?itok=glbRK4DF"}},"237051":{"id":"237051","type":"image","title":"Imaging pumping vessels","body":null,"created":"1449243659","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:59","changed":"1475894911","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:31","alt":"Imaging pumping vessels","file":{"fid":"197695","name":"dixon-weiler-lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-weiler-lab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-weiler-lab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":109730,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dixon-weiler-lab_0.jpg?itok=QjJuUEj3"}},"237071":{"id":"237071","type":"image","title":"An engineering approach to unravleing lymphedema","body":null,"created":"1449243659","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:59","changed":"1475894911","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:31","alt":"An engineering approach to unravleing lymphedema","file":{"fid":"197697","name":"dixon-kornuta-lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-kornuta-lab_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dixon-kornuta-lab_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112233,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dixon-kornuta-lab_0.jpg?itok=kTlCJrhV"}}},"media_ids":["237061","237051","237071"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"23201","name":"brandon dixon"},{"id":"73641","name":"breast cancer complicaitons"},{"id":"73631","name":"lymph"},{"id":"73611","name":"lymphatic system"},{"id":"73621","name":"lymphatic vessels"},{"id":"73601","name":"lymphedema"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"235771":{"#nid":"235771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unusual Mechanism of DNA Synthesis Could Explain Genetic Mutations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered the details of how cells repair breaks in both strands of DNA, a potentially devastating kind of DNA damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen chromosomes experience double-strand breaks due to oxidation, ionizing radiation, replication errors and certain metabolic products, cells utilize their genetically similar chromosomes to patch the gaps via a mechanism that involves both ends of the broken molecules. To repair a broken chromosome that lost one end, a unique configuration of the DNA replication machinery is deployed as a desperation strategy to allow cells to survive, the researchers discovered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaborative work of graduate students working under Anna Malkova, associate professor of biology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/kirill-lobachev\u0022\u003EKirill Lobachev\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/index.php\u0022\u003Ebiology\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was critical in the advancement of the project. The group\u2019s research was scheduled to be published Sept. 11 in the online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, with two graduate students, Sreejith Ramakrishnan of IUPUI, and Natalie Saini of Georgia Tech, as first authors. Other collaborators include James Haber of Brandeis University and Grzegorz Ira of the Baylor College of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPreviously we have shown that the rate of mutations introduced by break-induced replication is 1,000 times higher as compared to the normal way that DNA is made naturally, but we never understood why,\u201d Malkova said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELobachev\u2019s lab used cutting-edge analysis techniques and equipment available at only a handful of labs around the world. This allowed the researchers to see inside yeast cells and freeze the break-induced DNA repair process at different times. They found that this mode of DNA repair doesn\u2019t rely on the traditional replication fork \u2014 a Y-shaped region of a replicating DNA molecule \u2014 but instead uses a bubble-like structure to synthesize long stretches of missing DNA. This bubble structure copies DNA in a manner not seen before in eukaryotic cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional DNA synthesis, performed during the S-phase of the cell cycle, is done in semi-conservative manner as shown by Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl in 1958 shortly after the discovery of the DNA structure. They found that two new double helices of DNA are produced from a single DNA double helix, with each new double helix containing one original strand of DNA and one new strand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe demonstrated that break-induced replication differs from S-phase DNA replication as it is carried out by a migrating bubble instead of a normal replication fork and leads to conservative DNA synthesis promoting highly increased mutagenesis,\u201d Malkova said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis desperation replication triggers \u201cbursts of genetic instability\u201d and could be a contributing factor in tumor formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom the point of view of the cell, the whole idea is to survive, and this is a way for them to survive a potentially lethal event, but it comes at a cost,\u201d Lobachev said. \u201cPotentially, it\u2019s a textbook discovery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring break-induced replication, one broken end of DNA is paired with an identical DNA sequence on its partner chromosome. Replication that proceeds in an unusual bubble-like mode then copies hundreds of kilobases of DNA from the donor DNA through the telomere at the ends of chromosomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSurprisingly, this is a way of synthesizing DNA in a very robust manner,\u201d Saini said. \u201cThe synthesis can take place and cover the whole arm of the chromosome, so it\u2019s not just some short patches of synthesis.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bubble-like mode of DNA replication can operate in non-dividing cells, which is the state of most of the body\u2019s cells, making this kind of replication a potential route for cancer formation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImportantly, the break-induced replication bubble has a long tail of single-stranded DNA, which promotes mutations,\u201d Ramakrishnan said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe single-stranded tail might be responsible for the high mutation-rate because it can accumulate mutations by escaping the other repair mechanisms that quickly detect and correct errors in DNA synthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen it comes to cancer, other diseases and even evolution, what seems to be happening are bursts of instability, and the mechanisms promoting such bursts were unclear,\u201d Malkova said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe molecular mechanism of break-induced replication unraveled by the new study provides one explanation for the generation of mutations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Institutes of Health under awards RO1GM082950, RO1GM084242, RO3ES016434, GM76020, and by the National Science Foundation under award MCB-0818122. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: N. Saini, et al., \u201cMigrating bubble during break-induced replication drives conservative DNA synthesis,\u201d (Nature, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12584\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12584\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12584\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech: Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) .\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIUPUI: Rich Schneider (317-278-4564) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rcschnei@iu.edu\u0022\u003Ercschnei@iu.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered the details of how cells repair breaks in both strands of DNA, a potentially devastating kind of DNA damage.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have discovered how cells repair a potentially devastating kind of DNA damage."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-09-10 10:21:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:53","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"235751":{"id":"235751","type":"image","title":"Exploring DNA repair","body":null,"created":"1449243659","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:59","changed":"1475894911","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:31","alt":"Exploring DNA repair","file":{"fid":"197664","name":"lobachev-saini.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lobachev-saini_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lobachev-saini_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":563363,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lobachev-saini_0.jpg?itok=EHhytsns"}}},"media_ids":["235751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"919","name":"Biochemistry"},{"id":"73441","name":"break-induced replication"},{"id":"73431","name":"cell division"},{"id":"2638","name":"DNA repair"},{"id":"73421","name":"dna synthesis"},{"id":"5718","name":"Genetics"},{"id":"8668","name":"Kirill Lobachev"},{"id":"6555","name":"molecular biology"},{"id":"68181","name":"Natalie Saini"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"235071":{"#nid":"235071","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Determine Protein Structure for New Antimicrobial Target","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGrowing concern about bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics has created strong interest in new approaches for therapeutics able to battle infections. The work of an international team of researchers that recently solved the structure of a key bacterial membrane protein could provide a new target for drug and vaccine therapies able to battle one important class of bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers determined the structure of BamA, a key component of the cellular machinery that controls insertion of beta-barrel proteins into the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, organisms that cause a range of respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and other infections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeta-barrel membrane proteins transport substrates ranging from small molecules to large proteins into and out of the Gram-negative bacteria. These transport proteins help maintain the structure and composition of the outer membrane. Responsible for the virulence of pathogenic strains, the proteins are also essential to the viability of the bacteria \u2013 making them of interest for the development of new therapeutics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause BamA is required for viability in all Gram-negative bacteria, it is a promising candidate for vaccines and drugs targeting bacterial infections,\u201d said Susan Buchanan, a senior investigator in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. \u201cKnowing the structure and understanding how BamA works will likely help advance vaccine and drug design, and could result in novel antibiotics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team solved BamA structures from two bacteria: \u003Cem\u003ENeisseria gonorrhoeae\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003EHaemophilus ducreyi\u003C\/em\u003E. Buchanan, the paper\u2019s principal author, said several biotechnology companies are already interested in understanding the structure of the protein and how it functions. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team reported its findings September 1 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was led by NIH scientists and included researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Monash University in Australia and Diamond Light Source in the United Kingdom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLearning how individual amino acid residues are organized into three-dimensional protein structures helps us understand features that are not apparent by any other type of analysis,\u201d Buchanan said. \u201cWith a crystal structure, we essentially have a snapshot of what the protein looks like in 3D, which is a huge advantage in determining how a particular protein functions and in designing therapeutics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce they had determined the three-dimensional structure of the protein, the researchers still needed to understand how the BamA-mediated insertion mechanism worked. To develop clues to the protein\u2019s function, a Georgia Tech researcher carried out molecular dynamics simulations to provide a hypothesis that could be tested experimentally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we looked at the structure, it wasn\u2019t obvious to us how BamA helps proteins insert into the membrane,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/node\/947\u0022\u003EJ.C. Gumbart\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWhat my simulations revealed is that the barrel spontaneously opens and closes laterally to the membrane. We could actually see the opening of the barrel in the simulations, and based on that, came up with a hypothesis for how it could assist insertion of proteins into the outer membrane of the bacteria.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the crystalline structure of the protein showed that one side of the membrane-spanning beta-barrel domain is shorter than the other side, a feature that, according to the simulations, compresses the lipid bilayer and locally destabilizes the lipids in that region. The structure provides a potential route for inserting newly-synthesized outer-membrane proteins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn conducting the simulations, Gumbart used the special-purpose Anton supercomputer at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. The machine, developed by D.E. Shaw Research, allows simulations to attain microsecond-per-day computation rates, which was essential because the BamA simulations needed to be unusually long for researchers to observe its conformational flexibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simulations will next have to be validated by experimental research, which could provide additional information about how the membrane proteins are inserted. In turn, that may lead to further simulations and additional experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSimulations and experiments often work hand-in-hand to attack very difficult problems,\u201d Gumbart said. \u201cWe can have a give-and-take in which I make a prediction based on the simulations, and the other members of the team work to verify it experimentally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new work adds significantly to the understanding of how BamA proteins operate in Gram-negative bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGram-negative bacteria have an unusual outer membrane that differs from other species and had not been well studied before,\u201d Gumbart noted. \u201cMany people are aware of the protein folding problem generally, but fewer people know about the membrane protein issues. This is a really distinct, but critical biophysical question that we need to address to better understand how these bacteria function.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the work may lead to new approaches for addressing the challenge posed by bacterial resistance to existing drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need completely new thinking about antimicrobials and antibacterial agents to get ideas on how better to kill these bacteria,\u201d Gumbart added. \u201cAny time you develop a better understanding of how a process works in a cell, you can begin to predict ways to interfere with that process. Inserting proteins into the outer membranes of bacteria is one of the most fundamental processes taking place in these microorganisms, so it offers a significant target for therapeutic development.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the paper\u2019s authors included Nicholas Noinaj, Adam J. Kuszak, Hoshing Chang and Nicole C. Easley from the NIH; Petra Lukacik from Diamond Light Source, and Trevor Lithgow from Monash University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nicholas Noinaj, et al., \u201cStructural insight into the biogenesis of beta-barrel membrane proteins,\u201d (Nature 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12521\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12521\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the NIDDK Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by NIH grants K22-AI100927 and R01-GM067887. The opinions and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessary reflect the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGrowing concern about bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics has created strong interest in new approaches for therapeutics able to battle infections. The work of an international team of researchers that recently solved the structure of a key bacterial membrane protein could provide a new target for drug and vaccine therapies able to battle one important class of bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A study of protein membranes could provide drug designers with a new target for anti-microbial compounds."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-09-06 11:06:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:53","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"235031":{"id":"235031","type":"image","title":"Beta-barrel protein","body":null,"created":"1449243641","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:41","changed":"1475894908","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:28","alt":"Beta-barrel protein","file":{"fid":"197647","name":"beta-barrel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/beta-barrel_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/beta-barrel_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":699377,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/beta-barrel_0.jpg?itok=zaEJdmy8"}}},"media_ids":["235031"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"73191","name":"bacterial membrane"},{"id":"73181","name":"BamA"},{"id":"73201","name":"Gram-negative"},{"id":"73211","name":"J.C. Gumbart"},{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"230771":{"#nid":"230771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Works to Attract the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECandela Rojas says she didn\u2019t know anything about computer coding before last January. In fact, the freshman at Gwinnett County\u2019s Lanier High School couldn\u2019t even explain it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA bunch of numbers and computer commands,\u201d was her best guess. Eight weeks later, she had recognized the power of computing and could \u201cmake the computer do what I want.\u201d What made the difference is a coding program developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarSketch is one of several Georgia Tech initiatives that researchers and staff members are making available to K-12 students around the state and the country. From the Nerdy Derby to online lessons and underwater tours, every program uses creative and different tactics. But the goal of each is the same: to get more students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Many are designed to provide STEM outreach with a focus on minorities and underserved students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EServing the State\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough it doesn\u2019t have an education college, Georgia Tech is one of the state\u2019s leaders as Georgia attempts to increase the number of STEM students, expand its future workforce and drive the economy. For 25 years, the Institute\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing\u003C\/a\u003E (CEISMC) has connected Georgia Tech with educational groups, schools, corporations and opinion leaders around the state and nation. The 48-member staff has two key initiatives for students: STEM awareness and preparation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany K-12 children have never seen a scientist. Some have never seen a lab,\u201d said CEISMC Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about-ceismc\/ceismc-staff\/richard-millman\u0022\u003ERichard Millman\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cFor children to decide if they want to pursue STEM fields, they must first be introduced to the field in a way that intrigues them. Thanks to many of the faculty of Georgia Tech, the excitement of research can be brought to the K-12 schools.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECEISMC also focuses on STEM teacher professional development using content enrichment initiatives, including initiatives funded by the federal government\u2019s Race to the Top program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) \u2013 Georgia Tech\u2019s applied research organization \u2013 has made STEM a top priority. As part of its core mission, GTRI is helping educate the leaders of a technologically driven world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur team will continue to bring excitement, vitality and good science to classrooms across the state,\u201d said GTRI Director and Georgia Tech Vice President Robert McGrath. \u201cAt the same time, we will concentrate our resources, attempting to have direct and significant impact on the future careers and livelihoods of targeted groups of students. My hope and experience suggests that such notable impact can and will be contagious.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiscovering the World\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrincipal research engineer Jud Ready is growing nanotubes in his lab at GTRI\u2019s Baker Building. Approximately 30 high school students are watching his every move, some even suggesting which gases to use during the experiment. Ready can see their wide eyes and amazed looks as the nanotubes grow. He answers their questions and offers others in return. But there are no students with him in the lab. They are 66 miles away at Jasper County High School.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady is teaching a lesson, using videoconferencing technology, as part of GTRI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.d2d.gatech.edu\/prod\/\u0022\u003EDirect-to-Discovery\u003C\/a\u003E (D2D) program. The five-year-old initiative connects Georgia Tech researchers with Georgia\u2019s K-12 schools using high-speed Internet connections and high-definition, real-time video, allowing students to participate in research as it happens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was introduced to science in the second grade during a field trip to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I watched the scientists shatter flowers using liquid nitrogen,\u201d said Ready, who regularly leads D2D lessons. \u201cEvery student should have the opportunity to discover and explore their own personal interests.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater in the lesson, Ready places the nanotubes under his scanning electron microscope, giving the students a glimpse of something impossible to replicate in their regular classroom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJasper County is the latest high school to participate in D2D. Earlier lessons have taken place with Barrow and Ware County schools, where students have peered underwater at the Georgia Aquarium and controlled telescopes in Australia to see the stars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDue to economics and distance, our students don\u2019t have the chance to regularly attend or engage with museums, aquariums or labs for educational opportunities,\u201d said Joseph Barrow, superintendent of Ware County Schools. \u201cWe saw D2D as a golden opportunity to figuratively tear down the brick and mortar walls of our system and to literally bring the world to our students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of D2D\u2019s flexibility, Georgia Tech researchers don\u2019t participate in every lecture. Sometimes schools use the technology to create their own opportunities. For instance, one of Ware County\u2019s elementary schools connected with former First Lady Barbara Bush, who read students a story and spoke about the importance of reading. A high school class has connected with NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt takes three to five years to develop a textbook, which is then used in a classroom for about 10 years,\u201d said Jeff Evans, a GTRI principal research engineer and one of the D2D leaders. \u201cBy the time some students read it in the book, the technology is already obsolete. Direct to Discovery is an evolutionary leap beyond a textbook, and exposes students to the technologies of today and tomorrow.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMentoring the Next Generation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudies show that students who do not perform well in algebra have limited career options in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help students pass through what educators call the algebra \u201cgateway,\u201d Georgia Tech offers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ceismc.gatech.edu\/cmp\/akca\u0022\u003EAll Kids Count in Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E. The math-tutoring program is available to students at Centennial Place Elementary School, as well as the B.E.S.T. Academy Middle and High Schools and Coretta Scott King Middle and High Schools \u2013 both of which are single gendered, African-American schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach week, Georgia Tech work-study students work one-on-one with students in need of remedial help or assistance preparing for school and statewide, standardized tests. All Kids Count mentors also increase student interest in STEM by facilitating hands-on science activities and teaching students about technology through blogging, computer programming and other activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll Kids Count in Atlanta is just one of a plethora of mentoring programs offered by Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/cmp\/pathways\u0022\u003EPathways into STEM Program\u003C\/a\u003E, another partnership between CEISMC and the Atlanta Public Schools, provides mentors to students at the B.E.S.T. Academy High School and Coretta Scott King High School.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPathways mentors are AmeriCorps members who are in the schools between 12 and 40 hours per week. They help students not only develop their math and science skills, but also prepare them for the college and scholarship application processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMost of these students are the first in their families to pursue college and they don\u2019t know what is required or how the process works,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about-ceismc\/ceismc-staff\/taneisha-lee\u0022\u003ETaneisha Lee\u003C\/a\u003E, director of the Pathways Program. \u201cHaving a strong support system and information early on is very important for students to be successful.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, the Pathways Program has made a significant impact. Over the last four years, nearly 90 percent of students who participated in Pathways went on to attend a two- or four-year college or university, and nearly half of the students pursued STEM degrees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Pathways Program has been so successful that CEISMC expanded it into Gwinnett County\u2019s Lilburn and Radloff Middle Schools and Meadowcreek High School. It has also been incorporated into GoSTEM, a larger initiative that targets the Latino K-12 population in Gwinnett County.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnhancing Outreach to Hispanics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently only 2 percent of Hispanics are employed in the STEM fields compared to 6 percent of whites and 15 percent of Asians, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s Economic \u0026amp; Statistics Administration. Regardless of race or origin, higher education is a gateway to high-quality, high-paying STEM jobs, the report found.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why Georgia Tech is partnering with the Gwinnett County School System on a new initiative called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cmp-ceismc.gatech.edu\/gostem\u0022\u003EGoSTEM\u003C\/a\u003E that aims to enhance the K-12 STEM educational experience for Latinos, as well as strengthen the pipeline of Hispanic students pursuing STEM degrees in college.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunded by The Goizueta Foundation, GoSTEM is a community-focused program that brings resources for students, families and teachers to address the factors that impede Latino students from going into STEM fields. GoSTEM tries to reach students early on in elementary school and continues support through middle and high school.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program provides schools-based math, science and engineering college preparation programs conducted by Georgia Tech mentors, extracurricular activities such as robotic competitions and community service projects, as well as summer camps. Pathways to College, which is part of the Pathways Program, also helps Latino high school students with their college application process and provides them with STEM career information and resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to get students interested in STEM careers and give them the tools they need to pursue their dreams,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about-ceismc\/ceismc-staff\/diley-hernandez\u0022\u003EDiley Hernandez\u003C\/a\u003E, GoSTEM program director. \u201cThis is a good step in preparing them for the future and opening their eyes to the array of opportunities and choices ahead of them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoSTEM also conducts a variety of community-wide events and campus tours to empower Latino parents and guardians, and provide them with information on how to guide their students to college and possibly a STEM career. For K-12 teachers, GoSTEM offers fellowships for CEISMC\u2019s Georgia Intern Fellowships for Teachers (GIFT) to help them develop and implement a STEM curriculum through a summer internship at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoSTEM is currently being offered at one cluster of Gwinnett County Public Schools including six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Hernandez plans to expand the reach of the community-wide programs in the years ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngaging African-Americans in Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFewer than 3 percent of Ph.D.s are awarded to African-Americans. Georgia Tech is working to change that statistic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo increase the number of under-represented minorities in STEM fields, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=111\u0022\u003EManu Platt\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and Professor Emeritus \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/nerem\u0022\u003ERobert Nerem\u003C\/a\u003E, have created \u003Ca href=\u0022projectengage.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EProject ENGAGE\u003C\/a\u003E (Engaging New Generations at Georgia Tech through Engineering).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program is a partnership between Georgia Tech and two single-gendered African-American public schools \u2013 the all-male Benjamin Carson B.E.S.T Academy and the all-female Coretta Scott King Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy. It aims to introduce rising juniors and seniors to biomedical engineering by providing a hands-on experience in a research lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first cohort of students, six from each school, began their research fellowship at Georgia Tech in June 2013. During the summer, they will work 40 hours per week and they will continue on throughout the school year dedicating 15 to 20 hours per week.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fellowship kicks off with a four-week biology boot camp, developed and taught by three high school teachers who spent last summer in Georgia Tech\u2019s biomedical labs learning the fundamentals. After the boot camp, the student fellows move into the lab where they are mentored by either a Ph.D. candidate or a postdoctoral researcher. The goal is for each student to present his or her project at a science fair before the end of the school year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProject ENGAGE is more than just the research fellowship. Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral scholars regularly visit B.E.S.T. and Coretta Scott King high schools to introduce biomedical engineering topics and discuss their research goals. The teens are also invited to visit Platt\u2019s lab at Georgia Tech throughout the year, either in person or virtually via high-bandwidth video conferencing developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe more barriers we remove between these students and research universities, the more likely they will feel that they, too, deserve to be on campus and can be just as successful,\u201d Platt said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProject ENGAGE, which also includes mentoring partnerships with CEISMC and may expand even further, is supported by the National Science Foundation through the Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems Science and Technology Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManufacturing a Better Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBringing manufacturing back to the United States could create new high-quality jobs for Americans. Georgia Tech is helping ensure that the next generation has the interest and skills necessary to fill those positions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the help of a $7.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Georgia Tech and the Griffin-Spalding County School System have teamed up to bring manufacturing technologies to middle and high school students in this low-income and highly diverse school district.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe five-year initiative \u2013 led by Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with CEISMC \u2013 is bringing advanced manufacturing learning experiences, such as creating items using rapid prototyping and 3-D printers \u2013 to Griffin-Spalding County students in the 6th through 9th grades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/ampitup\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing and Prototyping Integrated to Unlock Potential\u003C\/a\u003E (AMP-IT-UP), the program allows students to learn about manufacturing by exploring their creativity and creating a physical solution to an engineering challenge using the engineering design process and both traditional and advanced manufacturing tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith AMP-IT-UP we hope to inspire all students to connect with STEM fields,\u201d said CEISMC associate director and AMP-IT-UP program director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/ceismc-staff\/marion-usselman\u0022\u003EMarion Usselman\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIn particular, we want to catch those students who might be our future creative innovators but who are at risk of falling through the cracks in our current book and test-driven education.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudent classroom experiences are broadened by extracurricular clubs and competitions provided through the project. Georgia Tech faculty and students are mentoring Griffin-Spalding students in clubs such as the Junior Makers Club and robotic competitions including FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Robotics. Griffin-Spalding students have also been invited to campus for events such as the Nerdy Derby and the InVenture Prize.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s about creating students who are aware, who are capable and who are enthusiastic about engineering, math, science and its role in the future advancement of our country,\u201d said CEISMC Program Director and AMP-IT-UP co-principal investigator \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about-ceismc\/ceismc-staff\/jeff-rosen\u0022\u003EJeff Rosen\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, through AMP-IT-UP, Georgia Tech faculty will investigate how the program affects academic engagement, content understanding and student persistence in the field. Georgia Tech and the school system have been awarded $2.9 million for the first two years of the grant, with another $4.3 million to follow in 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoding for All\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Lanier High School, Candela Rojas has created a 30-second, computerized remix of beats and samples despite knowing nothing about computer programming six weeks prior. On a recent morning, the girl who has loved music for years and fell in love with coding in days was sharing headphones with one of the biggest names in hip hop. Gimel \u201cYoung Guru\u201d Keaton, the computer engineering wizard behind 10 albums for superstar Shawn \u201cJay-Z\u201d Carter, offers advice and encouragement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYoung Guru approached Georgia Tech in 2012 with a goal of selling students on the impact of music, computers and technology. Within months, he was contributing original beats and loops to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/earsketch.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEarSketch\u003C\/a\u003E, an NSF-funded initiative that was developed by researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.music.gatech.edu\/people\/jason-freeman\u0022\u003EJason Freeman\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/~bmagerko6\/\u0022\u003EBrian Magerko\u003C\/a\u003E. The duo built EarSketch with the intent of using musical remixes to introduce high school students \u2013 especially minorities and young women \u2013 to the world of computer programming. The software utilizes the Python programming language and Reaper, a digital audio workstation program similar to those used in recording studios.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think that we can get students more motivated to enter computer science careers by placing introductory computing education into a really interesting, fun context,\u201d said Freeman, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.music.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Music\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cInstead of writing programs that sort lists or crunch numbers, students learn all of these skills while making music.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELanier High became the first high school to try it when 75 freshmen in its Center for Design and Technology gave EarSketch an eight-week test run this winter. Thirty five percent of the class is female.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMike Reilly, a former computer programmer who became a teacher several years ago, worked with Georgia Tech to implement the course. A year ago, three of his freshmen chose to continue coding classes as sophomores. He thinks 25 of this year\u2019s freshmen will sign up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur students now see computer programming as a skill set, rather than something that is hard to understand,\u201d Reilly says. \u201cAt a minimum, this project is teaching them to respect and recognize the power of coding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiscussions are underway to expand EarSketch to other metro Atlanta schools. The curriculum and software are available for download on the project\u2019s website and available to teachers across the nation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy leveraging the collaborative nature of remix composition and musically oriented computer programming, EarSketch may provide a successful alternative to the cultural issues that computer games have in the engagement of minorities,\u201d said Magerko, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Literature, Media and Communication\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt has already had an impact on Brie Edwards. Like most students, the African-American girl was lost on the first day of class.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure I could do it,\u201d Brie admitted. \u201cBut the more I practiced, the easier it became and the more I enjoyed it. Now I don\u2019t want to leave the computer. I know that I\u2019ll study programming in college.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis article originally appeared in the Spring-Summer 2013 issue of Research Horizons, Georgia Tech\u2019s research magazine.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProjects described in this article were supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award numbers DUE-1238089 and CNS-1138649. Any opinions expressed are those of the principal investigators and may not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriters\u003C\/strong\u003E: Liz Klipp and Jason Maderer, Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEncouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields is a national priority. Georgia Tech is supporting that goal through a broad range of efforts that includes in-school mentoring, biomedical internships, interactive video lessons from laboratories and real-world learning experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is supporting national goals of attracting students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-08-20 20:39:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:46","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"230781":{"id":"230781","type":"image","title":"GoSTEM Program","body":null,"created":"1449243602","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:02","changed":"1475894903","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:23","alt":"GoSTEM Program","file":{"fid":"197530","name":"gostem.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gostem_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gostem_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1426669,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gostem_1.jpg?itok=2EDfFF-N"}},"230791":{"id":"230791","type":"image","title":"Direct-to-Discovery","body":null,"created":"1449243602","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:02","changed":"1475894903","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:23","alt":"Direct-to-Discovery","file":{"fid":"197531","name":"jud-ready16.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jud-ready16_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jud-ready16_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150347,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jud-ready16_0.jpg?itok=Httr3opC"}},"230801":{"id":"230801","type":"image","title":"Pathway Mentoring Program","body":null,"created":"1449243602","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:02","changed":"1475894903","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:23","alt":"Pathway Mentoring Program","file":{"fid":"197532","name":"pathways.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pathways_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pathways_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1207664,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pathways_0.jpg?itok=Bf5uOX3b"}},"230811":{"id":"230811","type":"image","title":"STEM Mentoring","body":null,"created":"1449243602","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:40:02","changed":"1475894903","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:23","alt":"STEM Mentoring","file":{"fid":"197533","name":"mentoring.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mentoring_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mentoring_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":598325,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mentoring_0.jpg?itok=EKORyagX"}}},"media_ids":["230781","230791","230801","230811"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"72021","name":"All Kids Count"},{"id":"42171","name":"AMP-IT-UP"},{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"72011","name":"Direct-to-Discovery"},{"id":"14468","name":"EarSketch"},{"id":"72041","name":"ENGAGE"},{"id":"72031","name":"GoSTEM"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"3447","name":"K-12"},{"id":"167258","name":"STEM"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jason.maderer@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"229321":{"#nid":"229321","#data":{"type":"news","title":"McGrath Selected as an Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPatrick McGrath, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Biology, has been chosen as an Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging to study how complex genetics can influence the aging process in the small nematode \u003Cem\u003EC. elegans\u003C\/em\u003E. McGrath joined the School of Biology in 2012 and applied for membership to the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience in his first year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn humans, lifespan is a heritable trait, meaning that differences in our genes influence how fast we age. The McGrath lab plans to identify new signaling pathways controlling aging that are preferentially modified by combinations of natural polymorphisms segregating within a population.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe foundation\u2019s New Scholar awards provide support for new investigators to help establish their labs. The award provides funding of $100,000 per year for a four-year period.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew Scholar applications are by invitation only. This is the first year that Georgia Tech has been invited to nominate a candidate to apply.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New Scholar awards provide support for new investigators to help establish their labs."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPatrick McGrath, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Biology, has been chosen as an Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging to study how complex genetics can influence the aging process in the small nematode \u003Cem\u003EC. elegans\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New Scholar awards provide support for new investigators to help establish their labs."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2013-08-18 10:19:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:42","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"228191":{"id":"228191","type":"image","title":"Patrick McGrath","body":null,"created":"1449243582","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:42","changed":"1475894901","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:21","alt":"Patrick McGrath","file":{"fid":"197468","name":"patrick.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patrick_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patrick_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100625,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/patrick_0.jpg?itok=qr9S44RB"}}},"media_ids":["228191"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ellisonfoundation.org\/program\/aging-new-scholar","title":"Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging"},{"url":"http:\/\/mcgrathlab.biology.gatech.edu\/.","title":"McGrath Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"71271","name":"Patrick McGrath"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["connect@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"228451":{"#nid":"228451","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Evidence that Cancer Cells Change While Moving throughout Body","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the majority of cancer patients, it\u2019s not the primary tumor that is deadly, but the spread or \u201cmetastasis\u201d of cancer cells from the primary tumor to secondary locations throughout the body that is the problem. That\u2019s why a major focus of contemporary cancer research is how to stop or fight metastasis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrevious lab studies suggest that metastasizing cancer cells undergo a major molecular change when they leave the primary tumor \u2013 a process called epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As the cells travel from one site to another, they pick up new characteristics. More importantly, they develop a resistance to chemotherapy that is effective on the primary tumor. But confirmation of the EMT process has only taken place in test tubes or in animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ovarianresearch.com\/content\/6\/1\/49\/abstract\u0022\u003Epublished\u003C\/a\u003E in the Journal of Ovarian Research, Georgia Tech scientists have direct evidence that EMT takes place in humans, at least in ovarian cancer patients. The findings suggest that doctors should treat patients with a combination of drugs: those that kill cancer cells in primary tumors and drugs that target the unique characteristics of cancer cells spreading through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers looked at matching ovarian and abdominal cancerous tissues in seven patients. Pathologically, the cells looked exactly the same, implying that they simply fell off the primary tumor and spread to the secondary site with no changes. But on the molecular level, the cells were very different. Those in the metastatic site displayed genetic signatures consistent with EMT. The scientists didn\u2019t see the process take place, but they know it happened.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s like noticing that a piece of cake has gone missing from your kitchen and you turn to see your daughter with chocolate on her face,\u201d said John McDonald, director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Integrated Cancer Research Center and lead investigator on the project. \u201cYou didn\u2019t see her eat the cake, but the evidence is overwhelming. The gene expression patterns of the metastatic cancers displayed gene expression profiles that unambiguously identified them as having gone through EMT.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EMT process is an essential component of embryonic development and allows for reduced cell adhesiveness and increased cell movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Benedict Benigno, collaborating physician on the paper, CEO of the Ovarian Cancer Institute and director of gynecological oncology at Atlanta\u2019s Northside Hospital, \u201cThese results clearly indicate that metastasizing ovarian cancer cells are very different from those comprising the primary tumor and will likely require new types of chemotherapy if we are going to improve the outcome of these patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOvarian cancer is the most malignant of all gynecological cancers and responsible for more than 14,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. It often reveals no early symptoms and isn\u2019t typically diagnosed until after it spreads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur team is hopeful that, because of the new findings, the substantial body of knowledge that has already been acquired on how to block EMT and reduce metastasis in experimental models may now begin to be applied to humans,\u201d said Georgia Tech graduate student Loukia Lili, co-author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ovarian cancer research indicates that cells undergo genetic changes while spreading."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2013-08-12 12:24:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:42","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"99761":{"id":"99761","type":"image","title":"John McDonald, co-director of the Ovarian Cancer I","body":null,"created":"1449178150","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:10","changed":"1475894715","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:15","alt":"John McDonald, co-director of the Ovarian Cancer I","file":{"fid":"193959","name":"tcp55643.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcp55643_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcp55643_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":39191,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tcp55643_0.jpg?itok=YEtwWbGK"}}},"media_ids":["99761"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ovarianresearch.com\/content\/6\/1\/49\/abstract","title":"Journal Article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Sciences"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2371","name":"John McDonald"},{"id":"2372","name":"ovarian cancer"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"226411":{"#nid":"226411","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Making a Mini Mona Lisa","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe world\u2019s most famous painting has now been created on the world\u2019s smallest canvas. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have \u201cpainted\u201d the Mona Lisa on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width \u2013 or one-third the width of a human hair. The team\u2019s creation, the \u201cMini Lisa,\u201d demonstrates a technique that could potentially be used to achieve nanomanufacturing of devices because the team was able to vary the surface concentration of molecules on such short-length scales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe image was created with an atomic force microscope and a process called ThermoChemical NanoLithography (TCNL). Going pixel by pixel, the Georgia Tech team positioned a heated cantilever at the substrate surface to create a series of confined nanoscale chemical reactions. By varying only the heat at each location, Ph.D. Candidate Keith Carroll controlled the number of new molecules that were created. The greater the heat, the greater the local concentration. More heat produced the lighter shades of gray, as seen on the Mini Lisa\u2019s forehead and hands. Less heat produced the darker shades in her dress and hair seen when the molecular canvas is visualized using fluorescent dye. Each pixel is spaced by 125 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy tuning the temperature, our team manipulated chemical reactions to yield variations in the molecular concentrations on the nanoscale,\u201d said Jennifer Curtis, an associate professor in the School of Physics and the study\u2019s lead author. \u201cThe spatial confinement of these reactions provides the precision required to generate complex chemical images like the Mini Lisa.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduction of chemical concentration gradients and variations on the sub-micrometer scale are difficult to achieve with other techniques, despite a wide range of applications the process could allow. The Georgia Tech TCNL research collaboration, which includes associate professor Elisa Riedo and Regents Professor Seth Marder, produced chemical gradients of amine groups, but expects that the process could be extended for use with other materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe envision TCNL will be capable of patterning gradients of other physical or chemical properties, such as conductivity of graphene,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cThis technique should enable a wide range of previously inaccessible experiments and applications in fields as diverse as nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and bioengineering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother advantage, according to Curtis, is that atomic force microscopes are fairly common and the thermal control is relatively straightforward, making the approach accessible to both academic and industrial laboratories.\u0026nbsp; To facilitate their vision of nano-manufacturing devices with TCNL, the Georgia Tech team has recently integrated nanoarrays of five thermal cantilevers to accelerate the pace of production. Because the technique provides high spatial resolutions at a speed faster than other existing methods, even with a single cantilever, Curtis is hopeful that TCNL will provide the option of nanoscale printing integrated with the fabrication of large quantities of surfaces or everyday materials whose dimensions are more than one billion times larger than the TCNL features themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper, Fabricating Nanoscale Chemical Gradients with ThermoChemical NanoLithography, is \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/la400996w\u0022\u003Epublished online\u003C\/a\u003E by the journal Langmuir.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was funded by the National Science Foundation (PHYS-0849497, DMR-0120967, DMR-0820382 and CMMI-1100290). The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy (Office of Basic Energy Services) under award number DE-FG02-06ER46293. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Nanotechnique creates image 30 microns in width"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have \u201cpainted\u201d the Mona Lisa on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width \u2013 or one-third the width of a human hair. The team\u2019s creation, the \u201cMini Lisa,\u201d demonstrates a technique that could potentially be used to achieve nanomanufacturing of devices because the team was able to vary the surface concentration of molecules on such short-length scales.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have \u201cpainted\u201d the Mona Lisa on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width \u2013 or one-third the width of a human hair."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2013-08-05 08:17:20","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"226041":{"id":"226041","type":"image","title":"Mini Lisa image","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Mini Lisa image","file":{"fid":"197423","name":"final-mini-lisa.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/final-mini-lisa_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/final-mini-lisa_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":62716,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/final-mini-lisa_0.jpg?itok=x7ypax_0"}},"226001":{"id":"226001","type":"image","title":"Gray Scale Mona Lisa","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Gray Scale Mona Lisa","file":{"fid":"197420","name":"original.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/original_5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/original_5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":110162,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/original_5.jpg?itok=mlQZ5Rdv"}},"226011":{"id":"226011","type":"image","title":"Power Mona Lisa","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Power Mona Lisa","file":{"fid":"197421","name":"power.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/power_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/power_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":142012,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/power_0.jpg?itok=TR1N9D4b"}},"226051":{"id":"226051","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Curtis, Mini Lisa","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Jennifer Curtis, Mini Lisa","file":{"fid":"197424","name":"14c10302-p1-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-003_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-003_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1975030,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14c10302-p1-003_0.jpg?itok=aRE4tsFg"}},"226071":{"id":"226071","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Curtis","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Jennifer Curtis","file":{"fid":"197426","name":"14c10302-p1-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-001_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-001_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1282821,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14c10302-p1-001_0.jpg?itok=PcspNkFs"}},"226061":{"id":"226061","type":"image","title":"AFM and Thermal Cantilever","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"AFM and Thermal Cantilever","file":{"fid":"197425","name":"14c10302-p1-002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-002_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10302-p1-002_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1996803,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14c10302-p1-002_0.jpg?itok=TBQ24Prr"}}},"media_ids":["226041","226001","226011","226051","226071","226061"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/la400996w","title":"Journal Article"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/jennifer-curtis","title":"Jennifer Curtis"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Sciences"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5081","name":"Jennifer Curtis"},{"id":"70561","name":"Mono Lisa"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"226691":{"#nid":"226691","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bioengineering Program Loses Champion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChristopher James Ruffin, academic advisor for Georgia Tech\u2019s Interdisciplinary BioEngineering Graduate Program, passed away on July 20, 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChris was known as the easygoing and super friendly champion of the program. His spirit, like the program, was interdisciplinary and through the years he reached out across school, department, college and even university lines to make the program a success.\u0026nbsp; There is no faculty or staff member that the graduate students would more closely associate with the program than Ruffin, as he was the student\u2019s and faculty\u2019s initial point of contact for anything regarding the program.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cChris was the go-to person throughout the last 4 years that I have known him,\u201d said Timothy Kassis, a current graduate student from mechanical engineering who is in the program.\u0026nbsp; \u201cMy interactions with him from day one of the program gave me a quick sense of belonging and an inner satisfaction of calling the BioE community family.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERuffin began at Georgia Tech in 1994 and started working in the bio-community in April 2001 in the Biomedical Engineering department. Since that time he worked tirelessly to make sure that the BioEngineering Graduate students and faculty were taken care of.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI don\u0027t think I\u0027ve worked with another person who had the combination and depth of kindness and energy that Chris did,\u201d said Rob Butera, professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and former program director.\u0026nbsp; \u201cNo task was too big or too small - he got them all done, professionally and with a smile.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cChris was a wonderful person and an outstanding advocate for students and faculty in our program,\u201d Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, current director of the program stated. \u201cHe brought exceptional professionalism and work ethic while at the same time bringing a personal and caring perspective.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Remembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERemembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Remembering program advisor, Christopher Ruffin"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-08-05 14:56:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"226401":{"id":"226401","type":"image","title":"Christopher Ruffin","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Christopher Ruffin","file":{"fid":"197431","name":"ruffin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1155050,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ruffin_1.jpg?itok=W5lkIEUq"}}},"media_ids":["226401"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bioengineering.gatech.edu\/","title":"BioEngineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"225671":{"#nid":"225671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Interdisciplinary Seed Grants Awarded to Advance Innovation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience awarded $50,000 to three interdisciplinary teams under its Petit Bioengineering and Bioscience Collaborative Seed Grant program, which was created to support early-stage innovative biotechnology research.\u0026nbsp; Proposals were submitted by teams comprised of two Petit Institute faculty with appointments in different academic colleges. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The purpose of the program is to catalyze new collaborations that will tackle problems that require an interdisciplinary approach,\u0022 said Robert E. Guldberg, PhD, executive director of the Petit Institute.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new team of Raquel Lieberman, PhD, associate professor from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Ross C. Ethier, PhD, Gellerstedt and Georgia Research Alliance Professor from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, have proposed to lay the foundation for a new treatment for glaucoma by testing a new hypothesis for the molecular basis of disease. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness affecting approximately 70 million people worldwide.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022The grant will expand our understanding of the role of myocilin, a protein closely linked to certain forms of glaucoma,\u0022 said Ethier.\u0026nbsp; \u0022Further, we will develop animal models to support our long-term goal of developing a novel small molecule therapy for glaucoma.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022In parallel, we are taking a chemical biology approach to develop tailored new reagents to identify myocilin amyloids that could be adapted for a therapy,\u0022 Lieberman added. \u0022We have already discovered several promising lead compounds.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother team that was awarded was John McDonald, PhD, professor from the School of Biology and Todd Sulchek, PhD, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. They will be developing a new class of anticancer agents, or bead-size molecules, that will recognize and activate the immune system against them. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Cancer cells frequently display proteins or other molecules on their surface that are not present on the surface of normal cells. Inducing the production of antibodies against these cancer-specific surface molecules or antigens is the key to cancer immunotherapy,\u0022 said McDonald.\u0026nbsp; \u0022We propose to generate a new class of synthetic micro and nanobeads that will enhance the exposure of the immune system to these cancer antigens.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFacilitating the exposure of the natural immune response to diseased cells is a strategy that may be applied to combat many cellular sources of disease in addition to ovarian cancer. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022By combining the capability to selectively target cancer cells while stimulating the immune system, we hope to create an environment that can overcome immuno-evasive or -suppressive strategies by cancer cells,\u0022 Sulchek explains. \u0022This innovative approach of targeted immune activation could lead to drugs capable of treating a variety of diseases.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe third team to be awarded was, Tom Barker, PhD, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, PhD, Dunn Family Assistant Professor from the School of Physics, who proposed the development of a new class of deliverable biomaterials. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022One of the primary challenges in the regenerative medicine field is the development of biomaterials that are robust when delivered but that can also enable rapid cell invasion,\u0022 explains Fernandez-Nieves. \u0022Currently researchers have been able to optimize one property (mechanics) or the other (cell migration), but optimization of both simultaneously represents a significant hurdle.\u0022 \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo address this problem the team will take a new approach; incorporating a colloidal assembly, or a system which has highly deformable, \u0022squishy\u0022, microscopic hydrogels that partition into discrete large pockets rather than dispersed consistently throughout a dense fibrin-based.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022To our knowledge the specific approach used here has not previously been explored.\u0026nbsp; The findings thus far could not have been predicted which leads to the uniqueness of the system,\u0022 Barker said.\u0026nbsp; \u0022The long term strategy for this project is to be able to assist better with healing and tissue regeneration.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFunding for the new seed grants comes chiefly from the Petit Institute\u0027s endowment as well as contributions from the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering. Each team will receive $50,000 a year for two years; however, the second year of funding will be contingent on submission of an external collaborative grant proposal. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cThis initiative highlights the Petit Institute\u2019s interdisciplinary mission, supporting cutting-edge research at the interface of bioengineering and the biosciences,\u201d Guldberg added. \u201cWe look forward to seeing how these teams leverage this initial seed funding into larger grant proposals.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Three interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree teams interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three interdisciplinary teams awarded 50K for early-stage research"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-07-31 12:54:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:27","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"159231":{"id":"159231","type":"image","title":"Todd Sulchek and John McDonald","body":null,"created":"1449178896","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:41:36","changed":"1475894794","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:34","alt":"Todd Sulchek and John McDonald","file":{"fid":"195383","name":"13p1000-p5-004.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2089143,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13p1000-p5-004_0.jpg?itok=m770Dcms"}}},"media_ids":["159231"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"224881":{"#nid":"224881","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researcher Honored with Young Investigator Award from National Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESusan N. Thomas, PhD, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named the 2013 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). This award is in recognition of high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering to a faculty member within the first five years of their career. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cI am honored to be recognized by a society so important to the bioengineering and biomedical engineering communities,\u201d said Thomas, who is also program faculty in the Wallace H. Coulter School of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Rita Schaffer Young Investigator award is given in honor of the former BMES executive director and was established in 2000 to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering.\u0026nbsp; As the 2013 awardee, Thomas will present at the annual BMES meeting in Seattle and will go on to publish in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThomas, recognized for her pioneering work in the field of immune-bioengineering, continues to investigate the role of biotransport processes in regulating immune-regulated pathologies, in particular cancer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHer lab focuses on the role of mechanical force in regulating immune response.\u0026nbsp; In particular she is interested in how fluid flow fine-tunes anti-tumor immunity either by influencing tumor permeability or by regulating cell trafficking through the vasculature. Furthermore, Thomas is working on the development of biomaterial-based technologies that combine classic bio-transport phenomena with cell biology and immunology for novel drug delivery approaches in immunotherapy.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cImmunology is conventionally considered a purely biological science.\u201d Thomas stated. \u201cBut both acute and chronic inflammation are accompanied by tissue fluid imbalance, a basic engineering mass balance problem. Understanding how force impacts the ability of the immune system to sense and fight off infection or illness will help us design new approaches to treat disease.\u201d \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile her work currently focuses on melanoma and colon cancer, Thomas feels that with further investigation the principles learned are applicable to other cancers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThomas received her B.S. cum laude in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering from the University of California Los Angeles in 2003. She received her Ph.D. in 2008 from The Johns Hopkins University while working as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering Department under the supervision of Konstantinos Konstantopoulos where she studied the influence of fluid flow on blood-borne metastasis. Subsequently, she was a Whitaker Postdoctoral Scholar at \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne, one of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, in the laboratories of Melody Swartz and Jeffrey Hubbell developing nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy and studying the role of lymphatic transport in immunity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Susan Thomas recognized for work in biomedical engineering"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESusan Thomas receives Rita Schaffer Young Investigaor Award for work in biomedical engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Susan Thomas recognized for work in biomedical engineering"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-07-29 08:51:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"224891":{"id":"224891","type":"image","title":"Susan Thomas, PhD - Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449243551","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:11","changed":"1475894896","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:16","alt":"Susan Thomas, PhD - Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering","file":{"fid":"197394","name":"thomassusan2013-headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":576126,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thomassusan2013-headshot_0.jpg?itok=IEUg2DG5"}},"224901":{"id":"224901","type":"image","title":"Susan Thomas, PhD","body":null,"created":"1449243551","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:11","changed":"1475894896","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:16","alt":"Susan Thomas, PhD","file":{"fid":"197395","name":"thomassusan2013-lab2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1846981,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thomassusan2013-lab2_0.jpg?itok=YM1rqzNT"}}},"media_ids":["224891","224901"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/thomas.gatech.edu\/thomas\/lab\/people","title":"Thomas profile"},{"url":"http:\/\/bmes.org\/awards#Rita%20Schaffer%20Young%20Investigator%20Award","title":"Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunication \u0026amp; Marketing Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:melissa.zbeeb@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMelissa Zbeeb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"223571":{"#nid":"223571","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Magnets Steer Stem Cells to Specific Locations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy feeding stem cells tiny particles made of magnetized iron oxide, scientists at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology can then use magnets to attract the cells to a particular location in the body after intravenous injection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results are published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003ESmall\u003C\/em\u003E and will appear in an upcoming issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper was a result of collaboration between the laboratories of W. Robert Taylor of Emory, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech. Taylor is professor of medicine and biomedical engineering and director of the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine. Bao is professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Co-first authors of the paper are postdoctoral fellows Natalia Landazuri and Sheng Tong. Landazuri is now at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe type of cells used in the study, mesenchymal stem cells, are not embryonic stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can be readily obtained from adult tissues such as bone marrow or fat. They are capable of becoming bone, fat and cartilage cells, but not other types of cell such as muscle or brain. They secrete a variety of nourishing and anti-inflammatory factors, which could make them valuable tools for treating conditions such as cardiovascular disease or autoimmune disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMagnetized iron oxide nanoparticles are already FDA-approved for diagnostic purposes with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other scientists have tried to load stem cells with similar particles, but found that the coating on the particles was toxic or changed the cells\u2019 properties. The nanoparticles used in this study have a polyethylene glycol coating that protects the cell from damage. Another unique feature is that the Emory\/Georgia Tech team used a magnetic field to push the particles into the cells, rather than chemical agents used previously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to load the cells with a lot of these nanoparticles and we showed clearly that the cells were not harmed,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cThe coating is unique and thus there was no change in viability and perhaps even more importantly, we didn\u2019t see any change in the characteristics of the stem cells, such as their capacity to differentiate. This was essentially a proof of principle experiment. Ultimately, we would target these to a particular limb, an abnormal blood vessel or even the heart.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles are coated with the nontoxic polymer polyethylene glycol, and have an iron oxide core that is about 15 nanometers across. For comparison, a DNA molecule is two nanometers wide and a single influenza virus is at least 100 nanometers wide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles appear to become stuck in cells\u2019 lysosomes, which are parts of the cell that break down waste. The particles stay put for at least a week and leakage cannot be detected. The scientists measured the iron content in the cells once they were loaded up and determined that each cell absorbed roughly 1.5 million particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce cells were loaded with iron oxide particles, the Emory\/Georgia Tech team tested the ability of magnets to nudge the cells both in cell culture and in living animals. In mice, a bar-shaped rare earth magnet could attract injected stem cells to the tail. The magnet was applied to the part of the tail close to the body while the cells were being injected. Normally most of the mesenchymal stem cells would become deposited in the lungs or the liver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo track where the cells went inside the mice, the scientists labeled the cells with a fluorescent dye. They calculated that the bar magnet made the stem cells six times more abundant in the tail. In addition, the iron oxide particles themselves could potentially be used to follow cells\u2019 progress through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNext, we plan to focus on therapeutic applications in animal models where we will use magnets to direct these cells to the precise site need to affect repair and regeneration of new blood vessels,\u201d Taylor said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute\u2019s Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (HHSN268201000043C).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReference\u003C\/strong\u003E: N. Landazuri, S. Tong, J. Suo, G. Joseph, D. Weiss, D.J. Sutcliffe, D.P. Giddens, G. Bao and W.R. Taylor. Magnetic targeting of human mesenchymal stem cells with internalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Small, early view (2013)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Emory University \u2013 Quinn Eastman (404-727-7829) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:qeastma@emory.edu\u0022\u003Eqeastma@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Georgia Tech \u2013 John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Quinn Eastman\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease, a new study by Emory University and Georgia Tech researchers shows.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are using magnetic nanoparticles to help guide stem cells to desired locations."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-07-18 20:50:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"223561":{"id":"223561","type":"image","title":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","body":null,"created":"1449243535","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:55","changed":"1475894894","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:14","alt":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","file":{"fid":"197360","name":"magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":258936,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg?itok=oBf_ZQVV"}}},"media_ids":["223561"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"},{"id":"10845","name":"magnetic nanoparticles"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"288931":{"#nid":"288931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Class Notes: Stem Cell Engineering with Classmates from Cali to MIT","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of this class, not only is the topic of stem cell engineering unique, but thanks to video conferencing technology, Georgia Tech students can now take a class with their peers from across the country,\u201d said McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStem Cell Engineering (BMED 8813) has been offered since the spring of 2011 and was created by McDevitt as a way to educate graduate students about a research area that is becoming increasingly popular.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncluding the 10 students at Tech, there are 39 students enrolled in this semester\u2019s course. Aside from Tech, they are located at Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, University of California, Merced, and the University of Wisconsin. And although this is a graduate-level course, undergraduates can take the course with McDevitt\u2019s permission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what can students expect during a week of classes? On Tuesdays, students from all of the participating campuses hear a lecture via the video conferencing system on a stem cell engineering topic \u2014 think everything from stem cell biology basics to stem cell biomanufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the class meets on Thursdays, two students (at each location) typically lead a 50-minute discussion on a recently published journal article related to the lecture topic to their in-person peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, for the remainder of class, the Tech group video conferences with the students at other locations to discuss the key points brought up by each local group.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very helpful to have the perspective of students and faculty from other universities,\u201d\u0026nbsp; said Jenna Wilson, a Ph.D. student in the bioengineering program who is a former student of the course turned teaching assistant. \u201cBecause people at other universities have different areas of research expertise, they can provide greater insight into aspects of the stem cell engineering field and pose interesting questions for discussion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWilson also appreciated the small class size and discussion format of the course.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBoth aspects allow for great conversations with other students and some of the leading faculty in the stem cell engineering field,\u201d she added. \u201cEven though the class is broadcast across six universities, it\u0027s still a small group where you can feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is typically offered during spring semester. For more information, email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:todd.mcdevitt@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMcDevitt \u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 10 graduate students are discussing stem cell population analysis, when it\u2019s time. Before they can continue the discussion, Todd McDevitt, the instructor, has to do one thing \u2014 turn on the TV."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2014-04-07 15:26:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:11","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"288921":{"id":"288921","type":"image","title":"Class Notes: BMED 8813","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Class Notes: BMED 8813","file":{"fid":"199174","name":"classnotes_stemcellfinal_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253889,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/classnotes_stemcellfinal_0_0.jpg?itok=nEdVANuv"}}},"media_ids":["288921"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=78","title":"Todd McDevitt"},{"url":"http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/","title":"McDevitt Research Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"91121","name":"BMED 8813"},{"id":"89341","name":"class notes"},{"id":"3322","name":"classes"},{"id":"167603","name":"Stem Cell Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.pavlik@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"221551":{"#nid":"221551","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microparticles Create Localized Control of Stem Cell Differentiation; Reduce Growth Factor Use","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBefore scientists and engineers can realize the dream of using stem cells to create replacements for worn out organs and battle damaged body parts, they\u2019ll have to develop ways to grow complex three-dimensional structures in large volumes and at costs that won\u2019t bankrupt health care systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are now reporting advances in these areas by using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors to specific areas of embryoid bodies, aggregates of differentiating stem cells. The localized delivery technique provides spatial control of cell differentiation within the cultures, potentially enabling the creation of complex three-dimensional tissues. The local control also dramatically reduces the amount of growth factor required, an important cost consideration for manufacturing stem cells for therapeutic applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microparticle technique, which was demonstrated in pluripotent mouse embryonic cells, also offers better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation by delivering molecules that can either promote or inhibit the process. Based on research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the developments were reported online July 1 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EBiomaterials\u003C\/em\u003E and were presented at the 11th Annual International Society for Stem Cell Research meeting held in Boston June 12-15, 2013 .\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy trapping these growth factors within microparticle materials first, we are concentrating the signal they provide to the stem cells,\u201d said Todd McDevitt, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cWe can then put the microparticle materials physically inside the multicellular aggregate system that we use for differentiation of the stem cells. We have good evidence that this technique can work, and that we can use it to provide advantages in several different areas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe differentiation of stem cells is largely controlled by external cues, including morphogenic growth factors, in the three-dimensional environment that surrounds the cells. Most stem cell researchers currently deliver the growth factors into liquid solutions surrounding the stem cell cultures with a goal of creating homogenous cultures of cells. Delivering the growth factors from microparticles, however, provides better control of the spatial and temporal presentation of the molecules that govern the growth and differentiation of the stem cells, potentially allowing formation of heterogeneous structures formed from different cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGroups of stem cells stick together as they develop, forming multicellular aggregates that form spheroids as they grow. The researchers took advantage of that by driving microparticles containing growth factor BMP4 or noggin \u2013 which inhibits BMP4 signaling \u2013 into layers of stem cells using centrifugation. When the cell aggregates formed, the microparticles became trapped inside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used confocal imaging and flow cytometry to observe the differentiation process and found that growth factors in the microparticles directed the cells toward mesoderm and ectoderm tissues just as they do in solution-based techniques. But because the BMP4 and noggin molecules were directly in contact with the cells, much less growth factor was needed to spur the differentiation \u2013 approximately 12 times less than what would be required by conventional solution-based techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the major advantages, in a practical sense, is that we are using much less growth factor,\u201d said McDevitt, who is also director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. \u201cFrom a bioprocessing standpoint, a lot of the cost involved in making stem cell products is related to the cost of the molecules that must be added to make the stem cells differentiate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond more focused signaling, the microparticles also provided a localized control not available through any other technique. That allowed the researchers to create spatial differences in the aggregates \u2013 a possible first step toward forming more complex structures with different tissue types such as vasculature and stromal cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo build tissues, we need to be able to take stem cells and use them to make many different cell types which are grouped together in particular spatial patterns,\u201d explained Andres M. Bratt-Leal, the paper\u2019s first author and a former graduate student in McDevitt\u2019s lab. \u201cThis spatial patterning is what gives tissues the ability to perform higher order functions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter creating stem cell aggregates with microparticles containing different growth factors, the researchers observed a hemispherical organization of cells for several days, with the different cells remaining spatially segregated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can see the microparticles had effects on one population that were different from the population that didn\u2019t have the particles,\u201d McDevitt said. \u201cThis may allow us to emulate aspects of how development occurs. We can ask questions about how tissues are naturally patterned. With this material incorporation, we have the ability to better control the environment in which these cells develop.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microparticles could also provide better control over the kinetics of cell differentiation. Including different amounts of molecules \u2013 one the growth factor and the other its antagonist \u2013 could vary the rate at which the stem cell differentiation proceeds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the research reported in this paper manipulated pluripotent mouse cells, the researchers have moved ahead in performing similar studies with human stem cells and achieved comparable types of results with the microparticle delivery approaches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe developments not only help move stem cell technologies closer to the clinic, but also provide a new tool for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings will provide a significant new tool for tissue engineering, bioprocessing of stem cells and also for better studying early development processes such as axis formation in embryos,\u201d said Bratt-Leal. \u201cDuring development, particular tissues are formed by gradients of signaling molecules. We can now better mimic these signal gradients using our system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team also included Anh H. Nguyen, Katy A. Hammersmith and Ankur Singh, all associated with Georgia Tech and Emory University when the research was conducted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through award GM088291 and the National Science Foundation (NSF) through award CBET 0651739. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Andres M. Bratt-Leal, Anh H. Nguyen, Katy A. Hammersmith, Ankur Singh and Todd C. McDevitt, \u201cA Microparticle Approach to Morphogen Delivery within Pluripotent Stem Cell Aggregates,\u201d Biomaterials, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2013.05.079\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy using gelatin-based microparticles to deliver growth factors, researchers are creating three-dimensional structures from stem cells and reducing the use of growth factors needed to promote differentiation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are creating three-dimensional structures from stem cells and reducing the use of growth factors."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-07-09 14:26:47","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:30","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"221521":{"id":"221521","type":"image","title":"Making microparticles","body":null,"created":"1449243516","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:36","changed":"1475894891","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:11","alt":"Making microparticles","file":{"fid":"197276","name":"biomaterials7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6353237,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/biomaterials7_0.jpg?itok=QOPkRDBj"}},"221531":{"id":"221531","type":"image","title":"Analyzing stem cells","body":null,"created":"1449243516","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:36","changed":"1475894891","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:11","alt":"Analyzing stem cells","file":{"fid":"197277","name":"biomaterials8.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2245865,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/biomaterials8_0.jpg?itok=w3ZwDgRh"}}},"media_ids":["221521","221531"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"65091","name":"differentiation"},{"id":"1960","name":"microparticles"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"219051":{"#nid":"219051","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Hosts Director of NIFA, U.S. Department of Agriculture","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Sonny Ramaswamy, Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA, USDA\u2019s extramural research arm) visited Georgia Tech\u2019s campus on June 20 to meet and discuss Georgia Tech\u2019s expertise and research with implications on the needs of farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERamaswamy kicked off his visit with a seminar for students and faculty: \u201cSetting the Table for a Hotter, Flatter, More Crowded Earth.\u201d He described the research outlook for the USDA and how Georgia Tech researchers are uniquely poised to tackle grand challenges like feeding a growing population in light of dwindling resources such as land and water. This and other major challenges will require multi-faceted approaches and expertise ranging from engineering and cybersecurity to social sciences. \u003Ca href=\u0022\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/setting_the_table_march2013-final.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHis presentation is available here. \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERamaswamy toured Georgia Tech\u2019s Agricultural Technology Research Program and met with EVP for Research Stephen Cross. The visit closed with a multidisciplinary research roundtable, including bioenergy researcher and professor Art Ragauskas (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry); sphingolipid researcher and professor Al Merrill (School of Biology); and aquaponics researcher Steven Van Ginkel (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering).\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27854","created_gmt":"2013-06-25 09:50:36","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:27","author":"Alyssa Nordin","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"216501":{"id":"216501","type":"image","title":"Dr Sonny Ramaswamy","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Dr Sonny Ramaswamy","file":{"fid":"197126","name":"sonny_ramaswamy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sonny_ramaswamy_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sonny_ramaswamy_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":108999,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sonny_ramaswamy_0.png?itok=v3Zwhfyb"}}},"media_ids":["216501"],"groups":[{"id":"47398","name":"GCR (Office of Government and Community Relations)"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"15363","name":"Government and Community Relations"},{"id":"68481","name":"NIFA"},{"id":"171278","name":"Sonny Ramaswamy"},{"id":"68491","name":"United States Department of Agriculture"},{"id":"67611","name":"usda"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tnagel@gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETeri Nagel\u003C\/a\u003E, Office of Government and Community Relations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"217041":{"#nid":"217041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda Named Biomedical Engineering Chair","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have selected Ravi V. Bellamkonda, a prominent biomedical scientist and engineer, to chair their joint department of biomedical engineering. He will begin as chair of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University in July.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda, who has built a distinguished career in the health and engineering fields, is currently the Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Chair in Biomedical Engineering and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. He currently serves as the Georgia Tech associate vice president for research, and he is the new president-elect for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s appointment concludes a national search begun last year to fill the position, which is responsible for overseeing the department\u0027s academic and research programs in areas such as biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, cancer technologies, neuroscience, computer-assisted surgery and drug delivery. The department has 40 faculty members at Georgia Tech and Emory. More than 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled in the program. \u201cRavi is an outstanding leader who has proven his dedication to the department. He is a brilliant researcher and is focused on evolving local and national collaborations to enhance research and education efforts,\u201d said Gary S. May, dean of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cWe are extremely fortunate to have Ravi Bellamkonda as chair of our nationally recognized joint department,\u201d said Christian P. Larsen, dean of Emory University School of Medicine. \u201cI am confident that as a proven educator, researcher, and leader in his profession he will guide our faculty and students to new levels of excellence.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s recruitment also builds on a growing collaboration among the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Emory Department of Pediatrics and the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory to build bioengineering programs for Pediatric Bioengineering and cancer diagnosis and treatment. Bellamkonda succeeds Larry McIntire, who is retiring after 10 years as chair of the joint department.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPrior to joining Georgia Tech in 2003, Bellamkonda was an associate professor and associate chair for graduate education in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He has also served as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp; Bellamkonda was awarded his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1994.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHis various awards include: Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society and the Institute of Physics; and \u2018Best Professor\u2019 Award conferred by the undergraduate student body of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Bellamkonda was inducted as an AIMBE Fellow in 2006 and served on AIMBE\u2019s board as vice president, at-large, before being elected to president-elect.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda has published more than 175 books, chapters, articles, abstracts and proceedings. He is the founding scientist of two companies and has three U.S. patents with two additional ones pending.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022It is with a great sense of excitement that I look to helping lead this outstanding department and continuing its development as the best in the nation in biomedical engineering research and education,\u0022 said Bellamkonda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBellamkonda\u2019s research is focused on neural tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery for brain tumor therapy, and peripheral and central nerve regeneration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory created the joint department of biomedical engineering in the fall of 1997. The collaborative relationship blends the expertise of medical researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine with that of the engineering faculty at Georgia Tech, and is the first of its kind between a public and private institution. The collaboration has resulted in a biomedical engineering program ranked second in the nation by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERavi Bellamkonda Named Biomedical Engineering Chair - Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026amp; Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bellamkonda to serve as chair of Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory\u0027s joint biomedical engineering department"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2013-06-10 12:13:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:23","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ravi.gatech.edu\/","title":"Bellamkonda lab website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"248","name":"IBB"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kay.kinard@coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKay Kinard\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003ECollege of Engineering - Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kay.kinard@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"216371":{"#nid":"216371","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Model Finds Common Muscle Control Patterns Governing the Motion of Swimming Animals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do swimmers like trout, eels and sandfish lizards have in common? According to a new study, the similar timing patterns that these animals use to contract their muscles and produce undulatory swimming motions can be explained using a simple model. Scientists have now applied the new model to understand the connection between electrical signals and body movement in the sandfish.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost swimming creatures rely on an undulating pattern of body movement to propel themselves through fluids. Though differences in body flexibility may lead to different swimming styles, scientists have found \u201cneuromechanical phase lags\u201d in nearly all swimmers. These lags are characterized by a wave of muscle activation that travels faster down the body than the wave of body curvature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study of the sandfish lizard \u2013 which \u201cswims\u201d through sand \u2013 led to development of the new model, which researchers believe could also be used to study other swimming animals. Beyond assisting the study of locomotion in a wide range of animals, the findings could also help researchers design efficient swimming robots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA graduate student in our group, Yang Ding, who is now at the University of Southern California, was able to develop a theory that could explain the kinematics of how this animal swims as well as the timing of the nervous system control signals,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cFor animals swimming in fluids using an undulating movement, there are basic physical constraints on how they must activate their muscles. We think we have uncovered an important mechanism that governs this kind of swimming.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported June 3 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. It was sponsored by the National Science Foundation\u2019s Physics of Living Systems program, the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) program of the Army Research Office, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUndulatory locomotion is a gait in which thrust is produced in the opposite direction from a traveling wave of body bending. Because it is so commonly used by animals, this mode of locomotion has been widely used for studying the neuromechanical principles of movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarah Sharpe, the paper\u2019s second author and a graduate student in Georgia Tech\u2019s Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Program, led laboratory experiments studying undulatory swimming in sandfish lizards. She used X-ray imaging to visualize how the animals swam through sand that was composed of tiny glass spheres.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time their swimming movements were being tracked, a set of four hair-thin electrodes implanted in the lizards\u2019 bodies were providing information on when their muscles were activated. The two information sources allowed the researchers to compare the electrical muscle activity to the lizards\u2019 body motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe lizards propagate a wave of muscle activations, contracting the muscles close to their heads first, then the muscles at the midpoint of their body, then their tail,\u201d said Sharpe. \u201cThey send a wave of muscle of contraction down their bodies, which creates a wave of curvature that allows them to swim. This wave of activation travels faster than the wave of curvature down the body, resulting in different timing relationships, known as phase differences, between muscle contracts and bending along the body.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESand acts like a frictional fluid as the sandfish swims through it. However, a sandfish swimming through sand is simpler to model than a fish swimming through water because the sand lacks the vortices and other complex behavior of water \u2013 and the friction of the sand eliminates inertia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTheoretically, it is difficult to calculate all of the forces acting on a fish or an eel swimming in a real fluid,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cBut for a sandfish, you can calculate pretty much everything.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe relative simplicity of the system allowed the research team \u2013 which also included Georgia Tech professor Kurt Wiesenfeld \u2013 to develop a simple model showing how the muscle activation relates to motion. The model showed that combining synchronized torques from distant points in the lizards\u2019 bodies with local traveling torques is what creates the neuromechanical phase lag.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is one of the simplest, if not the simplest, models of swimming that reproduces the neuromechanical phase lag phenomenon,\u201d Sharpe said. \u201cAll we really had to pay attention to was the external forces acting on an animal\u2019s body. We realized that this timing relationship would emerge for any undulatory animal with distributed forces along its body. Understanding this concept can be used as the foundation to begin understanding timing patterns in all other swimmers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sandfish swims using a simple single-period sinusoidal wave with constant amplitude. A key finding that facilitated the model\u2019s development was that the sandfish\u2019s body is extremely flexible, allowing internal forces \u2013 body stiffness \u2013 to be ignored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis animal turns out to be like a little limp noodle,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cHaving that result in the theory makes everything else pop out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe model shows that the waveform used by the sandfish should allow it to swim the farthest with the least expenditure of energy. Swimming robots adopting the same waveform should therefore be able to maximize their range.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGoldman and his colleagues have been studying the sandfish, a native of the northern African desert, for more than six years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSandfish are among the champions of all sand diggers, swimmers and burrowers,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cThis lizard has provided us with an interesting entry point into swimming because its environment is surprisingly simple and behavior is simple. It turns out that this little sand-dweller may be able to tell us things about swimming more generally.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research has been supported by the National Science Foundation Physics of Living Systems (PoLS) under grants PHY-0749991 and PHY-1150760, by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory\u2019s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Program under cooperative agreement W911NF-11-1-0514, and by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award. Any conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or ARL.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yang Ding, Sarah Sharpe, Kurt Wiesenfeld and Daniel Goldman, \u201cEmergence of the advancing neuromechanical phase in resistive force dominated medium,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do swimmers like trout, eels and sandfish lizards have in common? According to a new study, the similar timing patterns that these animals use to contract their muscles and produce undulatory swimming motions can be explained using a simple model. Scientists have now applied the new model to understand the connection between electrical signals and body movement in the sandfish.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows that swimming animals use similar timing patterns to contract their muscles"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-06-04 15:36:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"216341":{"id":"216341","type":"image","title":"X-ray of Sandfish Swimming","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"X-ray of Sandfish Swimming","file":{"fid":"197119","name":"sandfish5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253357,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish5_0.jpg?itok=HyTzMGzh"}},"216351":{"id":"216351","type":"image","title":"Sandfish Lizard","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Sandfish Lizard","file":{"fid":"197120","name":"sandfish54.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":741621,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish54_1.jpg?itok=ifnOfwQl"}},"216361":{"id":"216361","type":"image","title":"Sandfish Lizard","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Sandfish Lizard","file":{"fid":"197121","name":"sandfish77.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":792900,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sandfish77_0.jpg?itok=qTYF-Xey"}}},"media_ids":["216341","216351","216361"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12040","name":"Daniel Goldman"},{"id":"169581","name":"sandfish"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"167350","name":"swimming"},{"id":"67541","name":"undulatory swimming"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"215841":{"#nid":"215841","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Director Visits Georgia Research Community","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday, May 30, 2013.\u0026nbsp; On the heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH, Collins spent time with administrators and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, University of Georgia (UGA), Georgia State University and Morehouse School of Medicine. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group spent the morning highlighting NIH funded research. Scientists representing Georgia Tech included Robert Guldberg, Ph.D., executive director of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and professor in mechanical engineering, who spoke to Collins about the Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center, a partnership between Emory University and Georgia Tech focused on endogenous repair and healing of nerves, bone, metabolic and cardiac applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETodd McDevitt, Ph.D., director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center and associate professor in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech, presented four projects funded with NIH dollars, including wound healing studies from a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/highrisk\/index.aspx\u0022\u003ETransformative Research Award\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d a program developed to fund \u201chigh-risk, high-reward\u201d science under the NIH\u2019s Common Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGiven that Dr. Collins \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/directorsblog.nih.gov\/exploiting-stem-cell-stickiness-for-sorting\/\u0022\u003Erecently dedicated a blog post\u003C\/a\u003E on the ongoing research of Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, Todd McDevitt, Hang Lu and Steve Stice from UGA, we were excited to share the great work being done in regenerative medicine and in stem cells,\u201d explained Stephen Cross, Ph.D., executive vice president for research.\u0026nbsp;\u201cBob and Todd were able to present ongoing NIH funded work for which Dr. Collins expressed both admiration and strong support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELater that morning, administration from each university traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where they were joined by representatives from Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Regents University, Georgia Southern University and Mercer University for further discussions with Congressman Jack Kingston, Collins and Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, director for the Center for Disease Control.\u0026nbsp; Each representative highlighted their NIH and\/or CDC funded research as well as shared concerns regarding sequestration impacts on each university\u2019s budget and ultimately the state\u2019s economy.\u0026nbsp; Representatives also provided Collins and Frieden with suggestions on specific grant programs and reporting, peer review processes and programs aimed at diversifying the healthcare workforce. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDue to the sequestration, the NIH\u2019s budget will fall by $1.71 billion in 2013, which represents a 5% decrease.\u0026nbsp; As a result, NIH expects to fund 703 fewer new and competing research grants this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis decline in funding will have an impact on our Georgia universities, including Georgia Tech, which was awarded $41.3 million from the NIH in 2012.\u0026nbsp; NIH estimates that every \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/about\/impact\/economy.htm\u0022\u003E$1 in NIH funding generates $2.21 in local economic growth\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs for how these cuts will affect individual research labs, that may not be known for some time. However, Collins is already seeking anecdotes of the sequestration\u2019s impact via a twitter discussion using the hashtag #NIHSequesterImpact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech has created a sequestration information webpage, which includes the latest updates from Georgia Tech and many of its federal search sponsors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/tlw-proxy.gatech.edu\/research\/faculty-and-staff-resources\/sequestration-updates\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/tlw-proxy.gatech.edu\/research\/faculty-and-staff-resources\/sequestration-updates\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia university research community welcomed Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Thursday, May 30, 2013.\u0026nbsp; On the heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH, Collins spent time with administrators and researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, University of Georgia (UGA), and Morehouse School of Medicine. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Timely visit on heels of learning the specifics on how the sequestration will impact the NIH"}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2013-05-31 17:58:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:20","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"215851":{"id":"215851","type":"image","title":"Bob Guldberg and Steve Cross with Francis Collins","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894879","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:59","alt":"Bob Guldberg and Steve Cross with Francis Collins","file":{"fid":"197112","name":"photo_copy_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2766081,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photo_copy_2_0.jpg?itok=1LtSPlsh"}},"215861":{"id":"215861","type":"image","title":"Todd McDevitt presenting to Francis Collins","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894879","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:59","alt":"Todd McDevitt presenting to Francis Collins","file":{"fid":"197113","name":"photo_copy_3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2048410,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/photo_copy_3_0.jpg?itok=G-1s0NLZ"}}},"media_ids":["215851","215861"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/directorsblog.nih.gov\/exploiting-stem-cell-stickiness-for-sorting\/","title":"Francis Collins Blog"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/","title":"National Institutes of Health"},{"url":"http:\/\/ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/guldberglab.gatech.edu\/","title":"Guldberg Musculoskeletal Research Lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/mcdevitt.gatech.edu\/","title":"McDevitt Research Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"11629","name":"Robert Guldberg"},{"id":"167317","name":"Steve Cross"},{"id":"760","name":"Todd McDevitt"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efor Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tnagel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETeri A. Nagel, APR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gov.gatech.edu\/community\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Government \u003Cbr \/\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;Community Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKirk Englehardt\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/research\/evpr\u0022\u003EOffice of the Executive Vice \u003Cbr \/\u003EPresident for Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/comm\/\u0022\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"215681":{"#nid":"215681","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Eric Gaucher Receives Young Professor Award from DuPont","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEric Gaucher, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology, was named as one of 14 young faculty from seven nations to receive an early career grant by DuPont. The DuPont Young Professor program is designed to help promising young and untenured research faculty begin their research careers.The $75,000 award is unrestricted and not tied to a specific research project.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022It is a wonderful honor to receive this award because, in many regards, it is a validation that there is utility associated with our research,\u0022 said Gaucher. \u0022This is also validation for Georgia Tech because it demonstrates that the Institute has been successful in fostering the development of research and technology that reaches beyond the academic environment.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGaucher came to Tech in 2008 with a Ph.D. in evolutionary and biomedical sciences from the University of Florida. His research is focused on understanding the origins and evolution of life on earth. Last year, Gaucher\u0027s lab resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from a bacterium and inserted it into a modern bacterium, Escherichia coli (E. coli). As a result they\u0027ve been able to watch how the gene evolves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Our research exploits a unique protein-engineering platform of interest to DuPont because recombinant proteins have become extremely prevalent throughout society yet we desperately need new ways to improve how such proteins are engineered and developed,\u0022 said Gaucher. \u0022We will use the money associated with this award to validate that our platform is useful to diverse sectors such as bioindustry, agriculture and biomedicine.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince 1968, DuPont has provided nearly $50 million in grants to more than 680 young professors in more than 130 institutions in 14 countries. In addition to providing unrestricted funding to new faculty, this prestigious program enables DuPont to build future research partnerships with emerging, global academic leaders. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch interests within the class of 2013 Young Professors represent key components of DuPont science and include promising research in the fields of: environmental remediation, genomic prediction, optics in nanoscience, pest management, phytochemicals for nutrition and medicine, plant breeding, protein engineering, studies of the human microbiome, sustainable energy and fuel production, and, water treatment and desalinization. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EProfessors are nominated by a member of the DuPont technical staff and the nominator serves as the liaison between the company and the faculty member. During the three-year award, each grant recipient is invited to present a seminar on his or her work to the DuPont research community. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEric Gaucher, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology, was named as one of 14 young faculty from seven nations to receive an early career grant by DuPont. The DuPont Young Professor program is designed to help promising young and untenured research faculty begin their research careers.The $75,000 award is unrestricted and not tied to a specific research project.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Eric Gaucher, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology, was named as one of 14 young faculty from seven nations to receive an early career grant by DuPont."}],"uid":"27245","created_gmt":"2013-05-31 10:31:34","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:20","author":"Troy Hilley","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"215671":{"id":"215671","type":"image","title":"Eric Gaucher","body":null,"created":"1449180114","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:54","changed":"1475894879","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:59","alt":"Eric Gaucher","file":{"fid":"197106","name":"gaucher.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaucher_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaucher_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":306530,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gaucher_0.jpg?itok=dC_epfF7"}}},"media_ids":["215671"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-gaucher","title":"Eric Gaucher"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gauchergroup.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"Gaucher Group"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"67261","name":"DuPont"},{"id":"5079","name":"Eric Gaucher"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["david.terraso@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"214191":{"#nid":"214191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emory, Georgia Tech receive first human exposome center grant in U.S.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestigators at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have received a $4 million grant over four years to establish the HERCULES Center at Emory University (Health and Exposome Research Center: Understanding Lifetime Exposures). The grant is the first exposome-based center grant awarded in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe HERCULES Center is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health as an Environmental Health Sciences Core Center. This NIEHS initiative is designed to establish leadership and support for programs of excellence in environmental health sciences by providing scientific guidance, technology and career development opportunities for promising investigators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe exposome is a relatively new concept that incorporates all of the exposures encountered by humans. It is proposed to be the environmental equivalent of the human genome and includes lifetime exposures to environmental pollutants in food, water, physical activity, medications, homes and daily stressors. Exposome research looks at the holistic view of the human body\u2019s exposures, how the body responds to those exposures, and their combined effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHERCULES is more than an acronym,\u201d explains Gary W. Miller, PhD, professor and associate dean for research at the Rollins School of Public Health, and director of the HERCULES Center. \u201cSequencing of the human genome project was a Herculean task, and determining the impact of the complex exposures we face throughout our lives represents a similarly difficult challenge. The exposome itself represents all of the external forces that act upon us. We know that measuring the exposome will be extremely difficult, but very worthwhile.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists believe that when coupled with a growing understanding of genetics, the exposome will help uncover the causes of many complex disorders, such as autism, asthma and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased at Emory\u2019s School of Public Health, the HERCULES Center comprises 38 investigators from both Emory and Georgia Tech. The center aims to promote the importance of the environment at a level equivalent to that of genetics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key feature of the HERCULES Center is the Systems Biology Core headed by Eberhard Voit, PhD, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Voit is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. The Systems Biology Core will provide expertise in computational approaches used to analyze and integrate large datasets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAssessing the enormous complexity of the exposome means entering uncharted territory and a unique opportunity for exploring and applying concepts and computational technologies that are just emerging in the nascent field of systems biology,\u201d says Voit, who is also the David D. Flanagan Chair in the biomedical engineering department. \u201cWe are very excited that Georgia Tech and Emory will venture into this new field together to learn and gain a greatly improved understanding of health and disease.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is such exciting news for us all,\u201d explains Paige Tolbert, PhD, chair of Environmental Health at Rollins School of Public Health and deputy director of the HERCULES Center. \u201cThis is a terrific development for the department, the school, the university and our bridge with Georgia Tech and beyond.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe HERCULES Center aims to promote the concept of the human exposome project on both a national and international level and welcomes research outside of Emory and Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestigators at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have received a $4 million grant over four years to establish the HERCULES Center at Emory University (Health and Exposome Research Center: Understanding Lifetime Exposures). The grant is the first exposome-based center grant awarded in the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u2013 Investigators at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, have received a $4 million grant over four years to establish the HERCULES Center at Emory University."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2013-05-22 12:00:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71738":{"id":"71738","type":"image","title":"Eberhard Voit (CSE, BME) Headshot Fall 2011","body":null,"created":"1449177396","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:36","changed":"1475894642","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:02","alt":"Eberhard Voit (CSE, BME) Headshot Fall 2011","file":{"fid":"193575","name":"12c1002-p1-160.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12c1002-p1-160_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/12c1002-p1-160_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8894,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/12c1002-p1-160_0.jpg?itok=WUdyMiGF"}}},"media_ids":["71738"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=81","title":"Eberhard Voit"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"36141","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University"},{"id":"251","name":"Eberhard Voit"},{"id":"2305","name":"Emory University"},{"id":"66731","name":"Rollins School of Public Health"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"213961":{"#nid":"213961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Soft Matter Offers Ways to Study Arrangement of Ordered Materials in Non-spherical Spaces","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA fried breakfast food popular in Spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe doughnut-shaped droplets, a shape known as toroidal, are formed from two dissimilar liquids using a simple rotating stage and an injection needle. About a millimeter in overall size, the droplets are produced individually, their shapes maintained by a surrounding springy material made of polymers. Droplets in this toroidal shape made of a liquid crystal \u2013 the same type of material used in laptop displays \u2013 may have properties very different from those of spherical droplets made from the same material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology don\u2019t have a specific application for the doughnut-shaped droplets yet, they believe the novel structures offer opportunities to study many interesting problems, from looking at the properties of ordered materials within these confined spaces to studying how geometry affects how cells behave.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur experiments provide a fresh approach to the way that people have been looking at these kinds of problems, which is mainly theoretical. We are doing experiments with toroids whose geometry can be precisely controlled in the lab,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/alberto-fernandez-nieves\u0022\u003EAlberto Fernandez-Nieves\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis work opens up a new way to experimentally look at problems that nobody has been able to study before. The properties of toroidal surfaces are very different, from a general point of view, from those of spherical surfaces.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of these \u201cstable nematic droplets with handles\u201d was described May 20 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E (PNAS). The research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and also involves researchers at the Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics at Leiden University in The Netherlands and at York University in the United Kingdom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDroplets normally form spherical shapes to minimize the surface area required to contain a given volume of liquid. Though they appear to be simple, when an ordered material like a crystal or a liquid crystal lives on the surface of a sphere, it provides interesting challenges to mathematicians and theoretical physicists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA physicist who focuses on soft condensed matter, Fernandez-Nieves had long been interested in the theoretical aspects of curved surfaces. Working with graduate research assistant Ekapop Pairam and postdoctoral fellow Jayalakshmi Vallamkondu, he wanted to extend the theoretical studies into the experimental world for a system of toroidal shapes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut could doughnut-shaped droplets be made in the lab?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partial answer came from churros Fernandez-Nieves ate as a child growing up in Spain. These \u201cSpanish doughnuts\u201d \u2013 actually spirals \u2013 are made by injecting dough into hot oil while the dough is spun and fried.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab at a much smaller size scale, the researchers found they could use a similar process with two immiscible liquids such as glycerine or water and oil, a needle and a magnetically-controlled rotating stage. A droplet of glycerine is injected into the rotating stage containing the oil. In certain conditions, a jet forms at the needle, which closes up into a torus because of the imposed rotation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can control the two relevant curvatures of the torus,\u201d explained Fernandez-Nieves. \u201cYou can control how large it is because you can move the needle with respect to the rotation axis. You can also infuse more volume to make the torus thicker.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the stage is then turned off, however, the drop of glycerine quickly loses its doughnut shape as surface tension forces it to become a traditional spherical droplet. To maintain the toroidal shape, Fernandez-Nieves and his collaborators replace the surrounding oil with a springy polymeric material; the springy character of this material provides a force that can overcome surface tension forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you are making the toroid, the forces on the needle are large enough that the surrounding material behaves as a fluid,\u201d he explained.\u0026nbsp; \u201cOnce you stop, the elasticity of the outside fluid overcomes surface tension and that freezes the structure in place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have been using the doughnut shapes to study how liquid crystal materials, which are well known for their applications in laptop displays, organize inside the torus. These materials have degrees of order beyond those of simple liquids such as water. For these materials, the toroidal shape provides a new set of study opportunities from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis changes how you think about a liquid inside a container,\u201d said Fernandez-Nieves. \u201cThe materials will still adopt the shape of the container, but its energy will be different depending on the shape. The materials feel distortions and will try to minimize them. In a given shape, the molecules in these materials will rearrange themselves to minimize these distortions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the surprises is that the nematic droplets created with toroidal shapes become chiral, that is, they adopt a certain twisting direction and break their mirror symmetry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn our case, the materials we are using are not chiral under normal circumstances,\u201d he noted. \u201cThis was a surprise to us, and it has to do with how we are confining the molecules.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond looking at the dynamics of creating the droplets and how ordered materials behave when the torus transforms into a sphere, Fernandez-Nieves and colleagues are also exploring potential biological applications, applying electrical fields to the droplets, and sharing the unique structures with scientists at other institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the first time that stable nematic droplets have been generated with handles, and we have exploited that to look at the nematic organization inside those spaces,\u201d said Fernandez-Nieves. \u201cOur experiments open up a versatile new approach for generating handled droplets made of an ordered material that can self-assemble into interesting and unexpected structures when confined to these non-spherical spaces. Now that theoreticians realize we can generate and study these systems, there may be much more development in this area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the paper\u2019s authors included V. Koning, B.C. van Zuiden and V. Vitelli from Leiden University, M.A. Bates from the University of York in the United Kingdom, and P.W. Ellis from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described here has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation under CAREER award DMR-0847304. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: E. Pairam, et al., \u201cStable nematic droplets with handles,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA fried breakfast food popular in Spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A fried breakfast food helped inspire development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may lead to new fundamental studies."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-05-20 20:47:47","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"213901":{"id":"213901","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets","file":{"fid":"197010","name":"toroidal-droplets401.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets401_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets401_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1155081,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets401_0.jpg?itok=BIlkrLaR"}},"213921":{"id":"213921","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets3","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets3","file":{"fid":"197012","name":"toroidal-droplets186.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets186_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets186_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1079189,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets186_0.jpg?itok=6uQ7hL2F"}},"213911":{"id":"213911","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets2","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets2","file":{"fid":"197011","name":"toroidal-droplets379.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets379_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets379_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1234135,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets379_0.jpg?itok=wrFDxAIO"}},"213931":{"id":"213931","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets4","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets4","file":{"fid":"197013","name":"toroidal-droplets342.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets342_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets342_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1213523,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets342_0.jpg?itok=64Pl18X8"}},"213941":{"id":"213941","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets5","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets5","file":{"fid":"197014","name":"toroidal-droplets291.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets291_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets291_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":972280,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets291_0.jpg?itok=hKsU5V6x"}},"213951":{"id":"213951","type":"image","title":"Toroidal droplets6","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Toroidal droplets6","file":{"fid":"197015","name":"toroidal-droplets71.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets71_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toroidal-droplets71_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1761609,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toroidal-droplets71_0.jpg?itok=6DrLV2kB"}}},"media_ids":["213901","213921","213911","213931","213941","213951"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"66681","name":"Alberto Fernandez-Nieves"},{"id":"66651","name":"nematic"},{"id":"66671","name":"non-spherical"},{"id":"66661","name":"ordered materials"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"167858","name":"soft matter"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"213701":{"#nid":"213701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Principles of Ant Locomotion Could Help Future Robot Teams Work Underground","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFuture teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are all-too-familiar to people living in the southern United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/youtu.be\/3TQzY_HRAgE\u0022\u003EWatch\u003C\/a\u003E a YouTube video of this project.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy studying fire ants in the laboratory using video tracking equipment and X-ray computed tomography, researchers have uncovered fundamental principles of locomotion that robot teams could one day use to travel quickly and easily through underground tunnels. Among the principles is building tunnel environments that assist in moving around by limiting slips and falls, and by reducing the need for complex neural processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the study\u2019s surprises was the first observation that ants in confined spaces use their antennae for locomotion as well as for sensing the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur hypothesis is that the ants are creating their environment in just the right way to allow them to move up and down rapidly with a minimal amount of neural control,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and one of the paper\u2019s co-authors. \u201cThe environment allows the ants to make missteps and not suffer for them. These ants can teach us some remarkably effective tricks for maneuvering in subterranean environments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported May 20 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation\u2019s Physics of Living Systems program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a series of studies carried out by graduate research assistant Nick Gravish, groups of fire ants (\u003Cem\u003ESolenopsis invicta\u003C\/em\u003E) were placed into tubes of soil and allowed to dig tunnels for 20 hours. To simulate a range of environmental conditions, Gravish and postdoctoral fellow Daria Monaenkova varied the size of the soil particles from 50 microns on up to 600 microns, and also altered the moisture content from 1 to 20 percent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the variations in particle size and moisture content did produce changes in the volume of tunnels produced and the depth that the ants dug, the diameters of the tunnels remained constant \u2013 and comparable to the length of the creatures\u2019 own bodies: about 3.5 millimeters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIndependent of whether the soil particles were as large as the animals\u2019 heads or whether they were fine powder, or whether the soil was damp or contained very little moisture, the tunnel size was always the same within a tight range,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cThe size of the tunnels appears to be a design principle used by the ants, something that they were controlling for.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGravish believes such a scaling effect allows the ants to make best use of their antennae, limbs and body to rapidly ascend and descend in the tunnels by interacting with the walls and limiting the range of possible missteps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn these subterranean environments where their leg motions are certainly hindered, we see that the speeds at which these ants can run are the same,\u201d he said. \u201cThe tunnel size seems to have little, if any, effect on locomotion as defined by speed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used X-ray computed tomography to study tunnels the ants built in the test chambers, gathering 168 observations. They also used video tracking equipment to collect data on ants moving through tunnels made between two clear plates \u2013 much like \u201cant farms\u201d sold for children \u2013 and through a maze of glass tubes of differing diameters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe maze was mounted on an air piston that was periodically fired, dropping the maze with a force of as much as 27 times that of gravity. The sudden movement caused about half of the ants in the tubes to lose their footing and begin to fall. That led to one of the study\u2019s most surprising findings: the creatures used their antennae to help grab onto the tube walls as they fell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of us who have studied social insects for a long time have never seen antennae used in that way,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/michael-goodisman\u0022\u003EMichael Goodisman\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biology\u003C\/a\u003E and one of the paper\u2019s other co-authors. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that they catch themselves with their antennae. This is an adaptive behavior that we never would have expected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy analyzing ants falling in the glass tubes, the researchers determined that the tube diameter played a key role in whether the animals could arrest their fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future studies, the researchers plan to explore how the ants excavate their tunnel networks, which involves moving massive amounts of soil. That soil is the source of the large mounds for which fire ants are known.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the research focused on understanding the principles behind how ants move in confined spaces, the results could have implications for future teams of small robots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe problems that the ants face are the same kinds of problems that a digging robot working in a confined space would potentially face \u2013 the need for rapid movement, stability and safety \u2013 all with limited sensing and brain power,\u201d said Goodisman. \u201cIf we want to build machines that dig, we can build in controls like these ants have.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy use fire ants for studying underground locomotion?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese animals dig virtually non-stop, and they are good, repeatable study subjects,\u201d Goodisman explained. \u201cAnd they are very convenient for us to study. We can go outside the laboratory door and collect them virtually anywhere.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described here has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant POLS 095765, and by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nick Gravish, et al., \u201cClimbing, falling and jamming during ant locomotion in confined environments,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFuture teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are all-too-familiar to people living in the southern United States.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Future teams of subterranean robots could benefit from research into how ants move in confined spaces."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-05-19 20:52:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"213651":{"id":"213651","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Researchers","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Researchers","file":{"fid":"197000","name":"ant-locomotion142.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion142_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion142_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1184230,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ant-locomotion142_0.jpg?itok=BdO270px"}},"213671":{"id":"213671","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Tubes","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Tubes","file":{"fid":"197002","name":"ant-locomotion198.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion198_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion198_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":826647,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ant-locomotion198_0.jpg?itok=PfGa2JHS"}},"213681":{"id":"213681","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Ants","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Ants","file":{"fid":"197003","name":"tunneling-ants.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tunneling-ants_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tunneling-ants_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1883622,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tunneling-ants_0.jpg?itok=pw3rAPGO"}},"213661":{"id":"213661","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Nests","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Nests","file":{"fid":"197001","name":"ant-locomotion184.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion184_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion184_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1653643,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ant-locomotion184_0.jpg?itok=Z_sr08Ci"}},"213641":{"id":"213641","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Team2","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Team2","file":{"fid":"196999","name":"ant-locomotion104.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion104_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion104_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1424517,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ant-locomotion104_0.jpg?itok=NeX33iF6"}},"213631":{"id":"213631","type":"image","title":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Team","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Confined Spaces Locomotion - Team","file":{"fid":"196998","name":"ant-locomotion21.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion21_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ant-locomotion21_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1410973,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ant-locomotion21_0.jpg?itok=q3FbxPTk"}}},"media_ids":["213651","213671","213681","213661","213641","213631"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"66521","name":"ant"},{"id":"66511","name":"confined spaces"},{"id":"12040","name":"Daniel Goldman"},{"id":"377","name":"locomotion"},{"id":"11811","name":"Michael Goodisman"},{"id":"1356","name":"robot"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"168894","name":"search and rescue"},{"id":"66531","name":"underground"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"213781":{"#nid":"213781","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grand Challenges Grant Supports Tissue Engineered Model of Lymphatic System","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has announced that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. J. Brandon Dixon, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled \u201cLymphatic on a chip as a model for lymphatic filariasis (LF) parasites.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges. Dixon\u2019s project is one of the Grand Challenges Explorations Round 10 grants announced May 21 by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo receive funding, Dixon and other Grand Challenges Explorations Round 10 winners demonstrated in a two-page online application a bold idea in one of four critical global heath and development topic areas that included agriculture development, neglected tropical diseases and communications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grant will fund development of a tissue-engineered model of the human lymphatic system that will support laboratory research into lymphatic filariasis, a parasitic disease known to cause elephantiasis. According to the World Health Organization, the mosquito-borne disease affects more than 120 million persons in tropical areas of the world, and can cause severe disfigurement. The parasitic worms that cause lymphatic filariasis are difficult to study because the most common species of the parasite can survive only in humans. While less common species can be maintained in felines or gerbils, they are challenging to culture long-term outside the host. The model that Dixon plans to develop would use human cells housed within fabricated microfluidic devices to closely simulate the environment where the adult worms live within their hosts, allowing the parasites to be studied longer term in vitro.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe would use this human lymphatic environment on a microfluidic chip to study the progression of the disease and the communication between the host and the parasite,\u201d explained Dixon, who is also a member of Georgia Tech\u2019s Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u201cWe could also scale this up to evaluate new pharmaceutical compounds that could potentially target the worm.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microfluidic system will include human lymphatic endothelial cells, which are the primary cell type in contact with the worms in the body. Researchers will also include human dermal fibroblasts \u2013 an important cell type in the skin where the mosquito first delivers the parasitic infection \u2013 and the immune cells that fight infection long-term. Beyond creating the cellular environment needed to support the worms, the researchers will also design a matrix to house the living cells, determine which hormones and nutrients are needed, and establish appropriate fluid flow rates for the microfluidic devices to recreate the hydrodynamic forces the worms encounter in the body. The devices will be integrated into an optical platform that would allow researchers to quantify the activity of the worms over extended periods of time using automated image analysis algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond studying lymphatic filariasis, Dixon believes a lymphatic system on a chip could ultimately support broader areas of research into disorders of this bodily system. The human lymphatic system has historically been underappreciated and is challenging to study because it is difficult to image, the vessels involved are small and the flow rates are very low compared to blood vasculature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Grand Challenges Explorations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGrand Challenges Explorations is a $100 million initiative funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. Launched in 2008, over 800 people in more than 50 countries have received Grand Challenges Explorations grants. The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline and from any organization. The initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with short two-page online applications and no preliminary data required. Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have the opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of up to $1 million.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has won a Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.\u0026nbsp; J. Brandon Dixon, assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled \u201cLymphatic on a chip as a model for lymphatic filariasis (LF) parasites.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has won a Grand Challenges Exploration grant to support development of a lymphatic system on a chip."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-05-20 11:14:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"213751":{"id":"213751","type":"image","title":"Lymphatic on a Chip","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Lymphatic on a Chip","file":{"fid":"197005","name":"lymphatic-system22273.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lymphatic-system22273_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lymphatic-system22273_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":912466,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lymphatic-system22273_0.jpg?itok=oOKu1zNN"}},"213761":{"id":"213761","type":"image","title":"Lymphatic on a Chip2","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Lymphatic on a Chip2","file":{"fid":"197006","name":"lymphatic-system79385.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lymphatic-system79385_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lymphatic-system79385_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":711158,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lymphatic-system79385_0.jpg?itok=ZL9fK7Lb"}}},"media_ids":["213751","213761"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"23201","name":"brandon dixon"},{"id":"9315","name":"Gates Foundation"},{"id":"66571","name":"Grand Challenges Explorations"},{"id":"5634","name":"Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"66561","name":"lymphatic"},{"id":"66581","name":"lymphatic filariasis"},{"id":"12427","name":"microfluidics"},{"id":"7631","name":"parasite"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"213721":{"#nid":"213721","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Suggests Drug Side Effects Inevitable; Basic Physics Enabled Early Biochemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study of both computer-created and natural proteins suggests that the number of unique pockets \u2013 sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins \u2013 is surprisingly small, meaning drug side effects may be impossible to avoid. The study also found that the fundamental biochemical processes needed for life could have been enabled by the simple physics of protein folding. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudying a set of artificial proteins and comparing them to natural proteins, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have concluded that there may be no more than about 500 unique protein pocket configurations that serve as binding sites for small molecule ligands. Therefore, the likelihood that a molecule intended for one protein target will also bind with an unintended target is significant, said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/jeffrey-skolnick\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biology\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur study provides a rationalization for why a lot of drugs have significant side effects \u2013 because that is intrinsic to the process,\u201d said Skolnick. \u201cThere are only a relatively small number of different ligand binding pockets. The likelihood of having geometry in an amino acid composition that will bind the same ligand turns out to be much higher than anyone would have anticipated. This means that the idea that a small molecule could have just one protein target can\u2019t be supported.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch on the binding pockets was published May 20 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESkolnick and collaborator Mu Gao have been studying the effects of physics on the activity of protein binding, and contrasting the original conditions created by the folding of amino acid residues against the role played by evolution in optimizing the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe basic physics of the system provides the mechanism for molecules to bind to proteins,\u201d said Skolnick, who is director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cssb.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for the Study of Systems Biology\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cYou don\u2019t need evolution to have a system that works on at least a low level. In other words, proteins are inherently capable of engaging in biochemical function without evolution\u2019s selection. Beyond unintended drug effects, this has a lot of implications for the biochemical component of the origins of life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBinding pockets on proteins are formed by the underlying secondary structure of the amino acids, which is directed by hydrogen bonding in the chemistry. That allows formation of similar pockets on many different proteins, even those that are not directly related to one another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou could have the same or very similar pockets on the same protein, the same pockets on similar proteins, and the same pockets on completely dissimilar proteins that have no evolutionary relationship. In proteins that are related evolutionarily or that have similar structures, you could have very dissimilar pockets,\u201d said Skolnick, who is also a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. \u201cThis helps explain why we see unintended effects of drugs, and opens up a new paradigm for how one has to think about discovering drugs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications of this \u201cbiochemical noise\u201d for the drug discovery process could be significant. To counter the impact of unintended effects, drug developers will need to know more about the available pockets so they can avoid affecting binding locations that are also located on proteins critical to life processes. If the inevitable unintended binding takes place on less critical proteins, the side effects may be less severe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, drug development could also move to a higher level, examining the switches that modulate the activity of proteins beyond binding sites. That may require a different approach to drug development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe strategy for minimizing side effects and maximizing positive effects may have to operate at a higher level,\u201d Skolnick said. \u201cYou are never going to be able to design unintended binding effects away. But you can minimize the undesirable effects to some extent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their study, Skolnick and Gao used computer simulations to produce a series of artificial proteins that were folded according the laws of physics, but not optimized for function. Using an algorithm that compares pairs of pockets and assesses the statistical significance of their structural overlap, they analyzed the similarity between the binding pockets in the artificial proteins and the pockets on a series of native proteins. The artificial pockets all had corresponding pockets on the natural proteins, suggesting that the simple physics of folding has been a major factor in development of the pockets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is how life, at least the biochemistry of life, could have gotten started,\u201d said Skolnick. \u201cEvolution would have optimized the functions, but you don\u2019t need that to get started at a low level of efficiency. If you had a soup of our artificial proteins, even with no selection you could at least do low-level biochemistry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the basic biochemistry of life was made possible by simple physics, optimizing the binding process to allow the efficiencies seen in modern organisms would have required evolutionary selection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the first time that it has been shown that side effects of drugs are an inherent, fundamental property of proteins rather than a property that can be controlled for in the design,\u201d Skolnick added. \u201cThe physics involved is more important than had been generally appreciated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch reported in this news release was supported by the Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number GM48835. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jeffrey Skolnick and Mu Gao, \u201cInterplay of physics and evolution in the likely origin of protein biochemical function,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study of both computer-created and natural proteins suggests that the number of unique pockets \u2013 sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins \u2013 is surprisingly small, meaning drug side effects may be impossible to avoid. The study also found that the fundamental biochemical processes needed for life could have been enabled by the simple physics of protein folding.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A study of computer-created and natural proteins suggests that drug side effects may be impossible to avoid."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-05-19 21:12:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"213711":{"id":"213711","type":"image","title":"Drug Side Effects","body":null,"created":"1449180096","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:36","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"Drug Side Effects","file":{"fid":"197004","name":"binding-pockets.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/binding-pockets_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/binding-pockets_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":623102,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/binding-pockets_0.jpg?itok=EPvEEMXp"}}},"media_ids":["213711"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"919","name":"Biochemistry"},{"id":"692","name":"drug"},{"id":"11937","name":"Jeffrey Skolnick"},{"id":"7031","name":"pharmaceutical"},{"id":"3003","name":"protein"},{"id":"169575","name":"side effects"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"213621":{"#nid":"213621","#data":{"type":"news","title":"RNA Was Capable of Catalyzing Electron Transfer on Early Earth with Iron\u2019s Help, Study Shows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows how complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions similar to those of the early Earth. Because electron transfer, the moving of an electron from one chemical species to another, is involved in many biological processes \u2013 including photosynthesis, respiration and the reduction of RNA to DNA \u2013 the study\u2019s findings suggest that complex biochemical transformations may have been possible when life began.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is considerable evidence that the evolution of life passed through an early stage when RNA played a more central role, before DNA and coded proteins appeared. During that time, more than 3 billion years ago, the environment lacked oxygen but had an abundance of soluble iron.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur study shows that when RNA teams up with iron in an oxygen-free environment, RNA displays the powerful ability to catalyze single electron transfer, a process involved in the most sophisticated biochemistry, yet previously uncharacterized for RNA,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ww2.chemistry.gatech.edu\/~williams\/\u0022\u003ELoren Williams\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results of the study were published online on May 19, 2013, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E. The study was sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, which established the Center for Ribosomal Origins and Evolution (Ribo Evo) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFree oxygen gas was almost nonexistent in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere more than 3 billion years ago. When free oxygen began entering the environment as a product of photosynthesis, it turned the earth\u2019s iron to rust, forming massive banded iron formations that are still mined today. The free oxygen produced by advanced organisms caused iron to be toxic, even though it was \u2013 and still is \u2013 a requirement for life. Williams believes the environmental transition caused a slow shift from the use of iron to magnesium for RNA binding, folding and catalysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWilliams and Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry postdoctoral fellow Chiaolong Hsiao used a standard peroxidase assay to detect electron transfer in solutions of RNA and either the iron ion, Fe2+, or magnesium ion, Mg2+. For 10 different types of RNA, the researchers observed catalysis of single electron transfer in the presence of iron and absence of oxygen. They found that two of the most abundant and ancient types of RNA, the 23S ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA, catalyzed electron transfer more efficiently than other types of RNA. However, none of the RNA and magnesium solutions catalyzed single electron transfer in the oxygen-free environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings suggest that the catalytic competence of RNA may have been greater in early Earth conditions than in present conditions, and our experiments may have revived a latent function of RNA,\u201d added Williams, who is also director of the Ribo Evo Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis new study expands on research published in May 2012 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPLoS ONE\u003C\/em\u003E. In the previous work, Williams led a team that used experiments and numerical calculations to show that iron, in the absence of oxygen, could substitute for magnesium in RNA binding, folding and catalysis. The researchers found that RNA\u2019s shape and folding structure remained the same and its functional activity increased when magnesium was replaced by iron in an oxygen-free environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future studies, the researchers plan to investigate whether other unique functions may have been conferred on RNA through interaction with a variety of metals available on the early Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Williams and Hsiao, Georgia Tech School of Biology professors Roger Wartell and Stephen Harvey, and Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry professor Nicholas Hud, also contributed to this work as co-principal investigators in the Ribo Evo Center at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by NASA (Award No. NNA09DA78A). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of NASA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Chiaolong Hsiao, et al., \u201cRNA with iron(II) as a cofactor catalyses electron transfer,\u201d (Nature Chemistry, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nchem.1649\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nchem.1649\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows how complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth. The study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions similar to those of the early Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-05-19 13:46:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"213601":{"id":"213601","type":"image","title":"RNA Catalysis","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"RNA Catalysis","file":{"fid":"196996","name":"electron-transfer72.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-transfer72_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-transfer72_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1618860,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/electron-transfer72_0.jpg?itok=Eb-ycPKS"}},"213611":{"id":"213611","type":"image","title":"RNA Catalysis2","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894876","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:56","alt":"RNA Catalysis2","file":{"fid":"196997","name":"electron-transfer117.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-transfer117_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-transfer117_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1453417,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/electron-transfer117_0.jpg?itok=l6ifec4B"}}},"media_ids":["213601","213611"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2507","name":"catalysis"},{"id":"12661","name":"Early Earth"},{"id":"66501","name":"electron transfer"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"},{"id":"10720","name":"Loren Williams"},{"id":"984","name":"RNA"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"211731":{"#nid":"211731","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biomaterial Shows Promise for Type 1 Diabetes Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have made a significant first step with newly engineered biomaterials for cell transplantation that could help lead to a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech engineers and Emory University clinicians have successfully engrafted insulin-producing cells into a diabetic mouse model, reversing diabetic symptoms in the animal in as little as 10 days.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team engineered a biomaterial to protect the cluster of insulin-producing cells \u2013 donor pancreatic islets \u2013 during injection. The material also contains proteins to foster blood vessel formation that allow the cells to successfully graft, survive and function within the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s very promising,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garcia\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s\u0026nbsp;Garcia\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech professor of mechanical engineering. \u201cThere is a lot of excitement because not only can we get the islets to survive and function, but we can also cure diabetes with fewer islets than are normally needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0142961213002949\u0022\u003Eresearch article\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 a partnership with Emory\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=46\u0022\u003EDr. Robert Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/peter-thule\u0022\u003EDr. Peter Thule\u003C\/a\u003E that was funded in part by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/jdrf.org\/\u0022\u003EJDRF\u003C\/a\u003E, the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes research \u2013 will be published in the June issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EBiomaterials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganizations such as JDRF\u0026nbsp;are dedicated to finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that allows the transport of sugar and other nutrients into tissues where they are converted to energy needed for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPancreatic islet transplantation re-emerged as a promising therapy in the late 1990s. Patients with diabetes typically find it difficult to comply with multiple daily insulin injections, which only partially improve long-term outcomes. Successful islet transplantation would remove the need for patients to administer insulin. While islet transplantation trials have had some success, and control of glucose levels is often improved, diabetic symptoms have returned in most patients and they have had to revert to using some insulin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnsuccessful transplants can be attributed to several factors, researchers say. The current technique of injecting islets directly into the blood vessels in the liver causes approximately half of the cells to die due to exposure to blood clotting reactions. Also, the islets \u2013 metabolically active cells that require significant blood flow \u2013 have problems hooking up to blood vessels once in the body and die off over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory researchers engineered a hydrogel, a material compatible with biological tissues that is a promising therapeutic delivery vehicle. This water-swollen, cross-linked polymer surrounds the insulin-producing cells and protects them during injection. The hydrogel containing the islets was delivered to a new injection site on the outside of the small intestine, thus avoiding direct injection into the blood stream.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce in the body, the hydrogel degrades in a controlled fashion to release a growth factor protein that promotes blood vessel formation and connection of the transplanted islets to these new vessels. In the study, the blood vessels effectively grew into the biomaterial and successfully connected to the insulin-producing cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFour weeks after the transplantation, diabetic mice treated with the hydrogel had normal glucose levels, and the delivered islets were alive and vascularized to the same extent as islets in a healthy mouse pancreas. The technique also required fewer islets than previous transplantation attempts, which may allow doctors to treat more patients with limited donor samples. Currently, donor cells from two to three cadavers are needed for one patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the new biomaterial and injection technique is promising, the study used genetically identical mice and therefore did not address immune rejection issues common to human applications. The research team has funding from JDRF to study whether an immune barrier they created will allow the cells to be accepted in genetically different mice models. If successful, the trials could move to larger animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe broke up our strategy into two steps,\u201d said Garcia, a member of Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe have shown that when delivered in the material we engineered, the islets will survive and graft. Now we must address immune acceptance issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost people with Type 1 diabetes currently manage their blood glucose levels with multiple daily insulin injections or by using an insulin pump. But insulin therapy has limitations. It requires careful measurement of blood glucose levels, accurate dosage calculations and regular compliance to be effective.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work was also funded by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/regenerativeengineeringandmedicine.com\/\u0022\u003ERegenerative Engineering and Medicine Center at Georgia Tech and Emory\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.actsi.org\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Clinical and Translation Science Institute \u003C\/a\u003Eunder PHS grant UL RR025008 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cphti.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Pediatric Healthcare Technology Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.research.va.gov\/services\/blrd\/merit_review.cfm\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Program\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003E National Institutes of Health\u2019s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases\u003C\/a\u003E (Grant R01 DK076801-01) helped fund the project as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION: \u003C\/strong\u003EEdward A. Phelps, Devon M. Headen, W. Robert Taylor, Peter M. Thule and Andr\u00e9s J.\u0026nbsp;Garcia. Vasculogenic Bio-Synthetic Hydrogel for Enchancement of Pancreatic Islet Engraftment and Function in Type 1 Diabetes, Biomaterials, June 2013, Pages 4602-4611.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have made a significant first step with newly engineered biomaterials for cell transplantation that could help lead to a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have made a significant first step with newly engineered biomaterials for cell transplantation that could help lead to a possible cure for Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2013-05-07 12:48:50","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:12","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"211761":{"id":"211761","type":"image","title":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","body":null,"created":"1449180039","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:39","changed":"1475894874","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:54","alt":"Professor Andr\u00e9s Garcia - Hydrogel as possible diabetes treatment","file":{"fid":"197065","name":"vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vascularization_r086_hires.jpg?itok=SbhKm7W7"}}},"media_ids":["211761"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.emory.edu\/home\/index.html","title":"Emory University"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"539","name":"Andres Garcia"},{"id":"65991","name":"Biomaterials journal"},{"id":"1612","name":"BME"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"65941","name":"Dr. Peter Thule"},{"id":"65951","name":"Dr. Robert Taylor"},{"id":"2305","name":"Emory University"},{"id":"3356","name":"hydrogel"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"65981","name":"islet cells"},{"id":"66001","name":"March 2013"},{"id":"65971","name":"transplantation"},{"id":"65961","name":"Type 1 Diabetes"},{"id":"2378","name":"Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"209671":{"#nid":"209671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Pathway Competition Affects Early Differentiation of Higher Brain Structures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESand-dwelling and rock-dwelling cichlids living in East Africa\u2019s Lake Malawi share a nearly identical genome, but have very different personalities. The territorial rock-dwellers live in communities where social interactions are important, while the sand-dwellers are itinerant and less aggressive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose behavioral differences likely arise from a complex region of the brain known as the telencephalon, which governs communication, emotion, movement and memory in vertebrates \u2013 including humans, where a major portion of the telencephalon is known as the cerebral cortex. A study published this week in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E shows how the strength and timing of competing molecular signals during brain development has generated natural and presumably adaptive differences in the telencephalon much earlier than scientists had previously believed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, researchers first identified key differences in gene expression between rock- and sand-dweller brains during development, and then used small molecules to manipulate developmental pathways to mimic natural diversity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have shown that the evolutionary changes in the brains of these fishes occur really early in development,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/todd-streelman\u0022\u003ETodd Streelman\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biology\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cIt\u2019s generally been thought that early development of the brain must be strongly buffered against change. Our data suggest that rock-dweller brains differ from sand-dweller brains \u2013 before there is a brain.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor humans, the research could lead scientists to look for subtle changes in brain structures earlier in the development process. This could provide a better understanding of how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia could arise during very early brain development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the National Science Foundation and published online April 23 by the journal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to understand how the telencephalon evolves by looking at genetics and developmental pathways in closely-related species from natural populations,\u201d said Jonathan Sylvester, a postdoctoral researcher in the Georgia Tech School of Biology and lead author of the paper. \u201cAdult cichlids have a tremendous amount of variation within the telencephalon, and we investigated the timing and cause of these differences. Unlike many previous studies in laboratory model organisms that focus on large, qualitative effects from knocking out single genes, we demonstrated that brain diversity evolves through quantitative tuning of multiple pathways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn examining the fish from embryos to adulthood, the researchers found that the mbuna, or rock-dwellers, tended to exhibit a larger ventral portion of the telencephalon, called the subpallium \u2013 while the sand-dwellers tended to have a larger version of the dorsal structure known as the pallium. These structures seem to have evolved differently over time to meet the behavioral and ecological needs of the fishes. The team showed that early variation in the activity of developmental signals expressed as complementary dorsal-ventral gradients, known technically as \u201cWingless\u201d and \u201cHedgehog,\u201d are involved in creating those differences during the neural plate stage, as a single sheet of neural tissue folds to form the neural tube. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo specifically manipulate those two pathways, Sylvester removed clutches of between 20 and 40 eggs from brooding female cichlids, which normally incubate fertilized eggs in their mouths. At about 36 to 48 hours after fertilization, groups of eggs were exposed to small-molecule chemicals that either strengthened or weakened the Hedgehog signal, or strengthened or weakened the Wingless signal. The chemical treatment came while the structures that would become the brain were little more than a sheet of cells. After treatment, water containing the chemicals was replaced with fresh water, and the embryos were allowed to continue their development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to artificially manipulate these pathways in a way that we think evolution might have worked to shift the process of rock-dweller telencephalon development to sand-dweller development, and vice-versa. Treatment with small molecules allows us incredible temporal and dose precision in manipulating natural development,\u201d Sylvester explained. \u201cWe then followed the development of the embryos until we were able to measure the anatomical structures \u2013 the size of the pallium and subpallium \u2013 to see that we had transformed one to the other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two different brain regions, the dorsal pallium and ventral subpallium, give rise to excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the forebrain. Altering the relative sizes of these regions might change the balance between these neuronal types, ultimately producing behavioral changes in the adult fish.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvolution has fine-tuned some of these developmental mechanisms to produce diversity,\u201d Streelman said. \u201cIn this study, we have figured out which ones.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers studied six different species of East African cichlids, and also worked with collaborators at King\u2019s College in London to apply similar techniques in the zebrafish.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, the researchers would like to follow the embryos through to adulthood to see if the changes seen in embryonic and juvenile brain structures actually do change behavior of adults. It\u2019s possible, said Streelman, that later developmental events could compensate for the early differences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results could be of interest to scientists investigating human neurological disorders that result from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Those disorders include autism and schizophrenia. \u201cWe think it is particularly interesting that there may be some adaptive variation in the natural proportions of excitatory versus inhibitory neurons in the species we study, correlated with their natural behavioral differences,\u201d said Streelman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the researchers already mentioned, the study included undergraduate coauthors Constance Rich and Chuyong Yi from Georgia Tech, and Joao Peres and Corinne Houart from King\u2019s College in London. Rich is presently in the neuroscience PhD program at the University of Cambridge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grants IOS 0922964 and IOS 1146275. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sylvester, J.B., et al., \u201cCompeting Signals Drive Telencephalon Diversity,\u201d (Nature Communications, 2013).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study in fish shows how the strength and timing of competing molecular signals during brain development has generated natural and presumably adaptive differences in a brain region known as the telencephalon -- much earlier than scientists had previously believed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Competing molecular signals during brain development have generated natural and presumably adaptive differences in a brain region known as the telencephalon."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-04-26 13:09:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"209651":{"id":"209651","type":"image","title":"Cichlid brain development4","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Cichlid brain development4","file":{"fid":"196852","name":"brain-development171.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development171_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development171_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1468370,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/brain-development171_0.jpg?itok=E-nhzYEQ"}},"209631":{"id":"209631","type":"image","title":"Cichlid brain development2","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Cichlid brain development2","file":{"fid":"196850","name":"brain-structure59.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-structure59_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-structure59_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1263021,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/brain-structure59_0.jpg?itok=9kxbS2MS"}},"209661":{"id":"209661","type":"image","title":"Cichlid brain development5","body":null,"created":"1449180018","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:18","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Cichlid brain development5","file":{"fid":"196853","name":"brain-development205.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development205_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development205_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1591795,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/brain-development205_0.jpg?itok=lZn-fFQ9"}},"209641":{"id":"209641","type":"image","title":"Cichlid brain development3","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Cichlid brain development3","file":{"fid":"196851","name":"brain-development141.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development141_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-development141_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1056140,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/brain-development141_0.jpg?itok=IWqoWT0B"}},"209621":{"id":"209621","type":"image","title":"Cichlid brain development","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Cichlid brain development","file":{"fid":"196849","name":"brain-structure6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-structure6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/brain-structure6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1684107,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/brain-structure6_0.jpg?itok=6_1qxaaE"}}},"media_ids":["209651","209631","209661","209641","209621"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1912","name":"brain"},{"id":"65081","name":"brain development"},{"id":"3083","name":"cichlid"},{"id":"65111","name":"Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences"},{"id":"170997","name":"signalling"},{"id":"65101","name":"telencephalon"},{"id":"2863","name":"Todd Streelman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"208861":{"#nid":"208861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sea Turtles and FlipperBot Show How to Walk on Granular Surfaces like Sand","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor sea turtle hatchlings struggling to reach the ocean, success may depend on having flexible wrists that allow them to move without disturbing too much sand. A similar wrist also helps a robot known as \u201cFlipperBot\u201d move through a test bed, demonstrating how animals and bio-inspired robots can together provide new information on the principles governing locomotion on granular surfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth the baby turtles and FlipperBot run into trouble under the same conditions: traversing granular media disturbed by previous steps. Information from the robot research helped scientists understand why some of the hatchlings they studied experienced trouble, creating a unique feedback loop from animal to robot \u2013 and back to animal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research could help robot designers better understand locomotion on complex surfaces and lead biologists to a clearer picture of how sea turtles and other animals like mudskippers use their flippers. The research could also help explain how animals evolved limbs \u2013 including flippers \u2013 for walking on land.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was published April 24 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EBioinspiration \u0026amp; Biomimetics\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory\u2019s Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Program, the U.S. Army Research Office, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are looking at different ways that robots can move about on sand,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/daniel-goldman\u0022\u003EDaniel Goldman\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe wanted to make a systematic study of what makes flippers useful or effective. We\u2019ve learned that the flow of the materials plays a large role in the strategy that can be used by either animals or robots.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research began in 2010 with a six-week study of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles emerging at night from nests on Jekyll Island, one of Georgia\u2019s coastal islands. The research was done in collaboration with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENicole Mazouchova, then a graduate student in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biology\u003C\/a\u003E, studied the baby turtles using a trackway filled with beach sand and housed in a truck parked near the beach. She recorded kinematic and biomechanical data as the turtles moved in darkness toward an LED light that simulated the moon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMazouchova and Goldman studied data from the 25 hatchlings, and were surprised to learn that they managed to maintain their speed regardless of the surface on which they were running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOn soft sand, the animals move their limbs in such a way that they don\u2019t create a yielding of the material on which they\u2019re walking,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cThat means the material doesn\u2019t flow around the limbs and they don\u2019t slip. The surprising thing to us was that the turtles had comparable performance when they were running on hard ground or soft sand.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key to maintaining performance seemed to be the ability of the hatchlings to control their wrists, allowing them to change how they used their flippers under different sand conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOn hard ground, their wrists locked in place, and they pivoted about a fixed arm,\u201d Goldman explained. \u201cOn soft sand, they put their flippers into the sand and the wrist would bend as they moved forward. We decided to investigate this using a robot model.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat led to development of FlipperBot, with assistance from Paul Umbanhowar, a research associate professor at Northwestern University. The robot measures about 19 centimeters in length, weighs about 970 grams, and has two flippers driven by servo-motors. Like the turtles, the robot has flexible wrists that allow variations in its movement. To move through a track bed filled with poppy seeds that simulate sand, the robot lifts its flippers up, drops them into the seeds, then moves the flippers backward to propel itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMazouchova, now a Ph.D. student at Temple University, studied many variations of gait and wrist position and found that the free-moving mechanical wrist also provided an advantage to the robot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the robot, the free wrist does provide some advantage,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cFor the most part, the wrist confers advantage for moving forward without slipping. The wrist flexibility minimizes material yielding, which disturbs less ground. The flexible wrist also allows both the robot and turtles to maintain a high angle of attack for their bodies, which reduces performance-impeding drag from belly friction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also noted that the robot often failed when limbs encountered material that the same limbs had already disturbed. That led them to re-examine the data collected on the hatchling turtles, some of which had also experienced difficulty walking across the soft sand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we saw the turtles moving poorly, they appeared to be suffering from the same failure mode that we saw in the robot,\u201d Goldman explained. \u201cWhen they interacted with materials that had been previously disturbed, they tended to lose performance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMazouchova and Goldman then worked with Umbanhowar to model the robot\u2019s performance in an effort to predict how the turtle hatchlings should respond to different conditions. The predictions closely matched what was actually observed, closing the loop between robot and animal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe robot study allowed us to test how principles applied to the animals,\u201d Goldman said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the results may not directly improve robot designs, what the researchers learned should contribute to a better understanding of the principles governing movement using flippers. That would be useful to the designers of robots that must swim through water and walk on land.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA multi-modal robot might need to use paddles for swimming in water, but it might also need to walk in an effective way on the beach,\u201d Goldman said. \u201cThis work can provide fundamental information on what makes flippers good or bad. This information could give robot designers clues to appendage designs and control techniques for robots moving in these environments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research could ultimately provide clues to how turtles evolved to walk on land with appendages designed for swimming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo understand the mechanics of how the first terrestrial animals moved, you have to understand how their flipper-like limbs interacted with complex, yielding substrates like mud flats,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cWe don\u2019t have solid results on the evolutionary questions yet, but this certainly points to a way that we could address these issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research has been supported by the National Science Foundation under grant CMMI-0825480 and the Physics of Living Systems PoLS program, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory\u2019s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Program under cooperative agreement W911NF-08-2-0004, the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award. Any conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF, ARL or ARO.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nicole Mazouchova, Paul B. Umbanhowar and Daniel I. Goldman, \u201cFlipper-driven terrestrial locomotion of a sea turtle-inspired robot, (Bioinspiration \u0026amp; Biomimetics, 2013).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBased on a study of both hatchling sea turtles and \u0022FlipperBot\u0022 -- a robot with flippers -- researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces such as sand.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-04-23 16:52:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"208811":{"id":"208811","type":"image","title":"FlipperBot testing4","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"FlipperBot 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